Sword of The Angels
by 62635377
Summary: Naruto leaves Konoha when Sakura causes him to get fed up with his mistreatment in the village. What does he search for? Where does he find it? And who is this Tenchi Misturugi?
1. What happened on October Tenth

I don't own Naruto.

**Bold is supernatural speech.**

_Italics are flashbacks, thoughts and whatnot._

-Chapter One: What happened on October Tenth-

_-October Tenth, Five years later-_

_Sound had attacked Konoha again under the lead of Uchiha Sasuke and his elite group "Hawk". Uzumaki Naruto, next in line for Hokage stood among the crowd brandishing his spear with literally frightening skill, felling enemy ninja left, right, up, down, and at various other angles. He faded in and out of the vision of ninja on both sides, disappearing just long enough for everyone to wonder where he'd strike next. Sasuke stepped into the clearing, he smirked, blood running off his dark blue armor_

_"So Dobe, it seems that you've got some skill. Unfortunately it was you I choose to kill." Sasuke drew his sword, challenging Naruto. Naruto stood from his battle stance, tossing the spear up and then jamming it's blade into the ground. The ninja drew his dagger from behind him, a beautifully crafted katana, the steel was colored gold, the handle was red, these were the colors of the nine tails demon fox. The Uzumaki stood, ready for any attack, Sasuke vanished, coming down on Naruto who simply snatched the blade out of the air, breaking it in half between his fingers._

_"__**Don't toy with me Sasuke. I've had enough of your mocking me, I could have killed you at anytime, but now I'm fed up, so take your death like a true ninja." **__Naruto threw his former teammate back with a blast of pure chakra, and then dashed forward, cutting the tendons of Sasuke's legs, while Sasuke tried to stand, Naruto went to where his spear was, plucked it from the ground, turned and threw it, spearing the last Uchiha's head to the ground. He then pulled the spear out. __**"All you had to do was come home, and all of it could be avoided." **__Naruto turned to the crowd of scared ninja.__** "Any who don't wish to share a similar fate will turn and run." **__The Uzumaki said quietly as he wiped the blood from his spear on a nearby man's cloak. All enemy ninja turned tail and ran. Naruto looked at his remaining forces, all cheering, Haruno Sakura came from the numbers and ran to him, the years had been very kind to this beautiful Kunoichi. Naruto embraced her and held her, feeling the blood on her clothes. _

_"You've done it, you've defeated him. No more worries." Sakura said._

_**"I know, but remember that I can't go back with what I've done, the council will never agree."**__ Sakura looked up at him._

_"Tsunade did away with the council, she's the sole leader now, no council to say you can't come back! So come home Naruto, we've missed you." _

-Present time-

Naruto awoke on someone's shoulders, he was being carried.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"We're outside of the gates of Konoha, Sasuke escaped." Kakashi said, holding Sasuke's hitai-ate in his left hand.

"I failed her. I promised Sakura, and instead I end up a bloody mess."

"Well, you can tell her yourself. Here she is." Kakashi set the blond down, he was struggling to stand. Sakura came to him, taking him by the shoulders, her eyes full of tears, she asked him.

"Where is Sasuke?" Naruto turned his face away.

"He thought he'd killed me, and left, I failed Sa-" He was cut off by the hand that collided with his face, leaving a resounding sound.

"I can't believe you! You promised!"

"He ran me through with Chidori! You think I could move after that?!" He simply limped past her, trying to make his way, but then she turned and stopped him.

"I hate you Naruto! Never speak to me again!"

"Fine. But you'll regret that one day." With that he passed out and hit the ground with a thud. Kakashi picked him up and rushed him to the hospital. Tsunade immediately set to work on him, fixing him up the best she could.

-Two Weeks Later-

_**-Naruto's P.O.V.-**_

I woke up, I could feel my muscles stiff and weak from the lack of use, but his felt much worse. Shizune came in, surprised to see me sitting up. In truth it took me about fifteen tries to get all the way up.

"He did quite a number on you. We managed to fix you up, but you'll need serious therapy to get back to your usual strength." She informed me of my injuries.

"How long until I can do missions?" I remembered what I'd said to Sakura, and I meant to keep that promise, I wasn't planning on doing any missions, I had different plans.

"A month maybe, Are you willing to accept visitors? There are a number of people who've been by to see you, it's early morning so they'll be by again likely."

"I'll let anyone come in, except Sakura, don't let her in."

"She's visited the most."

"Don't. Let. Her. In." I didn't want to even see her, that Sasuke fan girl had crossed the last line. I was never going to put up with her crap forever, even I have limits.

"Alright. I'll make sure that she doesn't get in. Do you need anything?"

"Ramen. Miso flavor please." Miso was my favorite. After a few minutes she came back with my food. "Thank you." And I began eating.

"So if you want, we can start your physical therapy in about an hour. I know how you want to be Hokage, so getting back to training is important for you." Shizune was really a kind girl, always worked behind the scenes though, unbecoming of her, she could do a lot better.

"Yeah, I'll start as soon as I finish."

_**-Normal P.O.V.-**_

-One month later-

Naruto walked out of the hospital, near full strength, and new clothes. His old jacket had been destroyed by Sasuke and his Chidori, as well as a barrage of fire jutsu. He was currently dressed in a simple dogi style clothing, gray in color. He quickly returned to his house to get something that was more his style. He then realized what the date was, and he had to do it tonight, October Tenth.

-The Next day-

When the citizens of Konoha woke up, they often looked up to the Hokage mountain, sort of an unspoken ritual. This time however, they saw a message when they looked. Tsunade, now the active Hokage looked up, and saw it.

"Don't try to stop me, I'm already too far away by now."-Naruto

"Get me Kakashi and Sakura." She turned and went to her desk. When the two ninja arrived, she began with the questions.

"When he was in the hospital, he would say that his precious people had given him up. It seems someone said something to him that made him think they all hated him." Kakashi pondered the whole thing. "Let's check his house, maybe he left some clues."

"Sakura. Do you know anything about it?"

"I don't, Shizune said that Naruto told her not to let me see him. I haven't seen him since he returned from the mission a month ago." Sakura feared that she had been the one to make him leave, she had after all said that she hated him.

"Why would he do that? Didn't he have a crush on you?" Tsunade asked.

"Because when he didn't bring back Sasuke after promising me he would… I got angry with him… And said… That I hated him." Sakura could see it all connecting now, he left because if he was on a team with her, whom he had a crush on, who also told him she hated him, it would make it difficult to not talk to her.

"You did it?! You're the one who made him think everyone hated him?!" Tsunade yelled, her anger rising. "How could you be so selfish Sakura? Thinking some traitor is more important than your teammate?!"

"Sakura, I have to say that I'm ashamed of you. Remember what I said about those who abandon their teammates are lower than trash? Well in my eyes, you're even lower than their kind." Kakashi turned. "I'm going to go see if I can find any kind of clues at his house. I'll come back when I get something." Kakashi left with a wave over his shoulder. This left Tsunade with a Gennin and a whole load of anger towards said Gennin.

"What to do with you? I mean you did chase off the only reason I came back here, I could technically have you imprisoned for causing one of our own to become a missing ninja." Sakura felt her eyes begin to brim with tears.

"If you could train me. I could then go and search for him, I could get him to come back." Sakura said, had she realized what her words would do she never would have said them. Tsunade stood, hands clasped behind her back, and began slowly circling the younger Kunoichi. She examined her so closely it would make a microbiologist seem like one who stares into space.

"And why should I train you? Why not someone else? What makes you think that you are even worth my training?" Tsunade's tone was sharp and cold. Sakura flinched slightly.

"I…I can't answer that. Truth be told I was always a hindrance to my team, and I have no special abilities."

"Then you're starting with a clean slate." Tsunade said.

"What?"

"Medical ninja are the most difficult to train because they often have other training to interfere with their medic training, but you don't, so essentially you're the perfect student right now."

"Thank you Shishou." Sakura bowed low.

-Location Unknown-

Naruto had run straight through the night, he hadn't stopped to even eat, he just ran with all his supplies. Finally he couldn't run anymore, and fell on his back after dropping his pack.

"Well, now all that's left is to find a teacher." Naruto sighed. His plan was to leave the message along with a scroll in his house since someone would look for something there, leave the village, and find a strong teacher who could make him stronger than he'd ever get in Konoha.

**"I know of a man, the only human other than that Yondaime to ever best me in combat. A Samurai by the name of Tenchi Mitsurugi. Look for him in the northern Iwa country. We're only a day from the border, rest and move quickly since that damn woman will probably send someone after you." **The Kyuubi said from inside Naruto's mind.

"Right, Tenchi Mitsurugi, northern Iwa. Why are you helping me fox?" Naruto had recently discovered he could speak to the Kyuubi, but only reserved the action for when he needed his chakra until now.

**"Because If you die, I die. And I want to live long enough to see you actually become strong, I'll not have a weak vessel."**

"Well, then to Iwa it is." Naruto opened his pack and began cooking some ramen, he'd taken the only food he had in the house.

-Two days later-

Naruto had finally reached the town the samurai was rumored to live in. After asking around for nearly an hour, he finally got some decent directions, and was sent off to a section of woods on the eastern side of the house. Naruto went into them, being told that the house was about a mile in. He carefully trekked through the forest, his shinobi training telling him to beware of any booby traps. Finally he sensed the presence of someone strong, and saw a man training in a clearing in front of the large house he saw. The spear in his hands cut and stabbed imaginary enemies with fluidity that the ninja had never seen before, suddenly the same spear was hurtling towards him, he dodged, and was surprised to see the spear was embedded nearly a meter deep into the tree.

"Who's there?" The man asked, drawing the katana on his side and walking toward Naruto, who pulled the spear from the tree and walked out into the clearing.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Are you Tenchi Mitsurugi?" Naruto held the spear at his side.

"Why does a ninja from Konoha seek me out?"

"I no longer call Konoha my home, I've come to ask you to train me."

"How did you find me?" Mitsurugi stood just out of the spear's range, katana still drawn.

"The Kyuubi no Yoko. He is sealed inside me and told me that You were the only living being to ever best him in combat."

"Those ninja are sealing demons in their children?"

"I'm the only one, thirteen years ago when I was born the Yondaime Hokage sealed Kyuubi into me in order to save the village."

"I see, then you must bear a heavy burden." Mitsurugi sheathed his sword and stepped closer, putting out his hand to take his spear. "I'll train you then. But you must make a vow that you will now renounce the title of ninja and in two years when you complete your Genpuku ceremony you will take the title of Samurai."

"I'll do it." Naruto took off his headband and stowed it in his pack.

"Good. Now you must understand that every ounce of training you do will be towards the effort to better yourself in combat, no stealth, no trickery, just pure combative skills." Mitsurugi turned towards his house and motioned for Naruto to follow. "I'll show you the room you will stay in." Mitsurugi showed him to his room, and told him to sleep, because he was to start training the next day.

-Chapter One: End-

_**Author's Notes: Chapter one of my new story, If you have any questions PM me, if not, then please Review. **_


	2. Training with Mitsurugi

I don't own Naruto. I wish I did, but I don't.

**Bold is supernatural speech.**

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks and the like._

-Chapter Two: Training with Mitsurugi-

Naruto woke up at six a.m. the next morning, not something entirely new, he dressed in his new clothes, black hakama, a white gi, then a gray one over the white one, he wore tabi socks, and straw sandals on his arms were soft leather kote. He walked out into the main room, where Mitsurugi had their breakfast of rice and fish ready. Naruto sat down with his new teacher, and began eating the breakfast.

"This is really good!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Thank you, When you live by yourself you either learn to live with bad cooking or learn to cook well." Mitsurugi had his katana sitting next to him, and his wakizashi in his belt.

"Ano, sensei why do you not put both swords down? I've seen Samurai who do that, but you are different." Naruto inquired, curious as he was.

"Because Naruto, I've been caught off guard while eating before, and couldn't grab my weapons, that is what this scar is from." Mitsurugi pointed at the long straight scar on his left cheek, it appeared as though someone had thrust at him and he narrowly dodged.

"I see. So what will my first training be?" Naruto looked at his sensei, a large man of strong build, his black hair was pulled almost all back into a ponytail, but his bangs hung down, he wore a beard and moustache but it wasn't thick and bushy.

"How many push ups can you do?"

"Three hundred.

"How far can you run?"

"Ten kilometers is my max without rest."

"Good, you will do thirty push ups, and run one kilometer."

"That's only a tenth of my normal workout sensei." Mitsurugi's face was split by a malicious grin.

"You'll see why boy, and in time you'll thank me for it." Mitsurugi finished his breakfast, and Naruto stood, and both went outside. When they got there, Mitsurugi drew a scroll from his gi.

"Have you heard of gravity seals?"

"Yeah, they simulate your gravitation pull to the earth, and make you seem much denser than you are. They were invented to make weights less cumbersome." It then dawned on Naruto why he was doing only one tenth of his normal workout.

"You will have two seals put on you, each is a fifteen times amplifier, making your body thirty times denser than it is now." Mitsurugi unsealed two pieces of paper, sticking one to the Uzumaki's back, and the other to his chest, he flew through seals at speeds Naruto had never thought possible and with the words "Gravity Seal: Activate" Naruto went from being his normal weight to thirty times that. He struggled to stand.

"Thirty push ups!" the Tenchi barked out, Naruto assumed the pushup stance and tried hard to do even one, after his body attuned to his new density, he managed to do them a little easier. Finally he finished and his muscles burned as though fire was running through them. "One Kilometer! Run!" Naruto stood, and began walking, and then a slow jog, and finally what some would call a run. One Kilometer later, Naruto collapsed in front of the older man's home.

"Now that you've done your morning workout, I'll begin teaching you basic stances, and strikes." He was holding a bokken with a seal on it, making it ten times denser than usual. "Now the mistake that ninja make while using a sword is their grip. When you hold a sword, angle your hand, gripping hardest with your pinky and ring finger, middle finger gripping only moderately hard, thumb and fore finger rest on the handle. Your first hand is held about a centimeter below the hilt, and your second hand is held at the pommel, your pinky coming to rest about a centimeter from the pommel itself." Mitsurugi instructed the boy, who did as he was told, the grip felt unnatural, but he was sure he'd get used to it. "Now your first stance is the forward stance, Seigan no Kamae, you point the blade at the face of the enemy, your legs are bent slightly, feet apart." Naruto assumed the stance, and Mitsurugi nodded.

"Sensei, this is hard, why keep the seals on?"

"Because Naruto, let me show you the fruits of this training, don't move from that stance." Mitsurugi sheathed his sword, and stepped towards a tree, in one swift motion that Naruto couldn't track, Mitsurugi was on the other side of the tree, which was easily two feet in diameter, and the tree had fallen.

"I see, and you used not an ounce of chakra."

"No Naruto, Samurai are to use chakra only for their finishing moves, and for sealing. Sealing was mastered by samurai, and ninja that worked alongside clans that specialized in sealing would learn from them. Now downward cut from Seigan No Kamae! One thousand times!" Mitsurugi shouted. Naruto began with his first stroke, bringing the sword down as he stepped forward, both incredibly hard tasks. One thousand swings later, Naruto was told he could rest.

"After lunch we will show you Chudan no Kamae, the middle stance." Mitsurugi removed the seals, and Naruto instantly felt light as air.

"Sensei, when learning techniques, I would use the Kage bunshin no jutsu to speed the process, may I do that here?"

"No, there will be no shortcuts when learning Bushido, you may use that technique when doing kata practice, having them attack you, and you will use each technique on a live opponent in this way; You may choose to spar against your clone so that you can learn where gaps in your defense are, but only then." Mitsurugi was what many would call a genius of hard work, and he wanted his only student to be one as well. Naruto ate his lunch quickly, allowing his muscles to recover slightly. He learned the Chudan no Kamae, a lower forward stance, the blade pointed towards the chest or belly rather than the face or throat. He was required to do one thousand downward strokes that way as well. By five o'clock Naruto was finished with the three front stances, Seigan no Kamae, Chudan no Kamae, and the lower forward stance Gedan no Kamae. He ate dinner at five, and then continued training, after dinner he continued learning stances, the five main stances consisted of Seigan, Chudan, Gedan, Hidan(1), and Migidan(2), he would have to do some sort of cut from each of these stances, and do it a thousand times with thirty times gravity and a sword that was bearing a ten times gravity seal. By the end of the first day, Naruto was so tired he could hardly move, but felt light and the soreness was gone by the next day. For a week Mitsurugi made the ex-ninja repeat this process, and without knowing it Naruto was progressing well, he now had two hundred strokes for each different kind of cut, slash, or thrust he could do from each stance(3). After one month, Naruto was learning simple kata, from one stroke of the blade to five, but never more than five strokes. Mitsurugi explained that the Samurai never carried on long drawn out sword fights because they were often out numbered and faced with the possibility of ninja hiding nearby waiting in ambush, so they couldn't afford the longer battles, and their swords, the soul of this warrior class would sustain too much damage from these battles, and in order to preserve their 'soul', they devised quick and effective methods of dispatching his enemy. Rarely though, a long sword fight would happen, or they would be caught in a large war, and that was the reason for the extreme stamina conditioning that Naruto faced, quite common among the samurai of the past and even of their own day.

Naruto learned history and myth about the warriors who originally came to the Gokuni, men who had no knowledge of chakra, no knowledge of the demons that roamed the world, nothing that was common knowledge in today's world. Naruto also learned about ninja who were masters of stealth only using the body, and mind, they used no chakra(4). He soaked up all this like a sponge. He also learned about the ancient religion of Buddhism that was practiced in the land the ancient warrior culture called the Japanese came from, their modern language was even based heavily off of it(5).

"Sensei, will I be able to return to Konoha one day? Not as a ninja, but as a samurai, to settle what will then be my past?"

"What do you mean by settle?" Mitsurugi had known of people who searched for power only to go back and kill the people in the place of their origin because they were treated badly.

"I mean to tell them the exact reasons I left, and to tell the people whom I was mistreated by that I will forgive them if they ask it of me."

"You've learned well in your meditations, many Samurai… No many people cannot settle their pasts when they search for a new life in the right way, you are showing that even though you were called 'demon' that you are a better man than all of them. You are truly worthy of the Mitsurugi No Tenchi Ryu (Sword of the angels style)."

"Are you the creator of this style?"

"No, my name is passed down, my great great grandfather was the founder of the style, We have taken the name because of the legends that surrounded our style in the older battles."

"I see, it was like an alias originally, and if became your grandfather's name, and he passed it to his son, who passed it to your great grandfather, who in turn passed it all the way down to you."

"Yes Naruto, and if you wish to, you may take the name as well, but it is not a necessity."

"I have years to decide that, Though I will likely keep my name."

"It is a decision only you can make."

Several months passed, Naruto began practicing in the art of the wakizashi, the tanto, empty hand jujitsu, and Karate used by Samurai. He practiced with the spear and the bow, all the styles of weaponry, horseback riding, combat from horse to horse, horse to ground, horseback archery, Naruto had learned so much in six months that he would never learn as a ninja.

-Konoha-

Kakashi had joined the ANBU after Sakura began training under Tsunade, who was quite a slave driver if Sakura was truthful, rivaling Gai's brutal training regiment, and medical training on top of it. She had to learn to withstand tortures, interrogations, beatings, the Haruno had quickly advanced in six months, Kakashi sighed, silently wondering where Naruto was. As if by magic, someone had found a lead on his location, Kakashi immediately took the report and headed to Tsunade's office.

"So you say they sighted him getting supplies in the northern Iwa village of Yokusho dressed in Samurai garb?"

"Yes ma'am, and supposedly he's learning from the legendary Tenchi Mitsurugi. If he decides to when he completes his training, he could march on us single handed and level the whole village. Though the journal he left us says that he wants to settle his past, I doubt that Naruto would do something like that."

"I want you to find out how long learning to be a Samurai takes, and report to me. Until then, Naruto is classified as a Class B missing ninja, for having secrets of Konoha, but make it clear that no one is to go after him."

"Yes Ma'am, Though If I remember correctly, he'll be training for another two and a half years, when he turns fifteen he'll have the Genpuku ceremony, and then learn the Ougi of the style and be considered a Samurai."

"Still, we need to take precautions, if he is training with someone of that caliber, like Sasuke who is with Orochimaru, then we have to be careful, he could turn on us at any moment, and 'settling his past' could mean a number of things."

"I see what you mean, fill out the form and I'll post it up at the ANBU headquarters. I'll also talk to Gekkou Hayate, he will know about the Samurai ways."

"Thank you Kakashi, I appreciate it."

"No problem, so Sakura tells me that you're working her like a mule." Kakashi made the change of subject sound like one who was settling a rumor. Tsunade smirked.

"There are a lot of ways to do the things I make her do, I've made her do things the hardest possible way every time, it's my punishment for her words to Naruto."

"I see, so instead of giving her the easy route, you're making her even more fearsome while punishing her at the same time."

"Exactly." Tsunade handed him the form that was to be posted in the ANBU lobby, he then turned and left.

-Yokusho-

Naruto was carrying the supplies to his new home in buckets held on a rod over his shoulders. He was walking on a rarely taken path when a man stopped him, he recognized this man as an ANBU from his own village.

"So, Tsunade has placed a price on my head I see. Give me a moment to set my groceries down before we do battle." Naruto walked to the side of the road and placed the buckets on the side of the road, he took the wooden rod in his hands, assuming a spearman's stance.

"You're going to fight an ANBU with a stick?" The ninja drew his sword, charging in, Naruto waited for the stroke of the sword, and batted it aside with the rod, and then stepped in quickly, he took the wrist of the ninja, and disarmed him with a twist of the arm. He picked up the blade, and tossed the wooden rod aside.

"No, I just needed it to get your blade, you see, I haven't just been sitting around these past seven months." He assumed Migidan no Kamae, the lower right stance, holding the blade off to his right side with the point down.

"I see, then I won't take you lightly this time." The ninja began forming hand seals, Naruto dashed in quickly and cut the ninja down with an upward stroke of the blade.

"I'm sorry that I had to do this, but I have no desire to go back to Konoha yet, I can take you back to my home and give you the medical attention you need, if you'll carry a message back to Konoha for me." Naruto was oblivious to the fact that ANBU were given orders to not go after him.

"Fuck you demon." The ANBU choked out, Naruto raised the blade, and thrust it down through the man's throat. He reached down and pulled off the mask, stowing it in his gi, he carried the man to the side of the road and with the rod dug him a grave. He bowed to the grave and took the mask with him to his home.

"Sensei, I was stopped on the road by a Konoha ANBU, the special operations unit, I cut him down with his own blade and buried him, I need to send a letter to Konoha, do I have your permission to do so?" Naruto was kneeling before his teacher.

"Yes Naruto, send them my regards, tell them thank you for giving me such a good student."

"I'm honored sensei, thank you." Anyone who'd seen Naruto in Konoha would find that this kind of thing was out of character for him, but Naruto always knew manners, he'd finally found someone who he felt the need to show them to. Naruto went into his room and began writing.

_"Tsunade,_

_I encountered one of your ANBU today, I've sent the mask of this ANBU with this letter. I gave him a burial, but I wish to know why you're sending men after me? I've committed no crimes other than leaving, and I do intend to return to settle my past, but not for another three years. If any more ANBU come after me, then I will come to the village with intentions to cut you and every ninja I encounter down. My sensei, Tenchi Mitsurugi sends his thanks, he says "Thank you for giving me such a great student." _

_Personally, I've got to say that I've learned more from him then I ever would in Konoha. Now where was I? Oh yeah, Though I said I wouldn't ever speak to her, how is Sakura doing? My feelings still stand toward, her, I do love her, but if she hates me as she says then I will have to settle my past with her as well. Also How is Rock Lee doing? I've come to understand his way of life, a genius of hard work is a true genius as I've learned. Now anyway, if you stay away from me, then when I come back for my time after I finish here then I will do so on friendly terms, and tell your spies to stop spying on me. I also wish for Kakashi to know that I would like to know how he is. That's all I have to say Tsunade, write back, tell the messenger to go to the Yokusho inn, I'll get the letter from there._

_Uzumaki Naruto."_

Naruto rolled up the letter and put a ribbon around it, he would take it to the mail runner when he went into town tomorrow. He had gotten enough rice and other supplies for a few days but he went into town regularly to talk to the villagers and build a relationship with them as Mitsurugi had advised. The innkeeper was a good friend of his teacher and himself.

Naruto had finished his daily training and was now in his room meditating, he did this before going to bed. Mitsurugi came to the door.

"Naruto, we are to go to the blacksmith's tomorrow, you're going to receive your first blades." Mitsurugi had obviously deemed Naruto ready to wield a real weapon.

"I thought you said that I wasn't to receive my swords until my Genpuku."

"That is the normal circumstance, but since you were attacked today, I'm going to have you carry your Wakizashi, which is usually given on the thirteenth birthday, along with a tanto. I can't be losing my student because he is under equipped." Mitsurugi smiled. Naruto bowed on his knees which he was already on because of his meditation.

"Thank you sensei." Naruto then continued his meditation and went to bed.

The next day Naruto sent off his letter, and accompanied his teacher to the blacksmith.

"Honjo, I need those blades I asked you to work on." Naruto was surprised to hear that the elder man had already had the blades made.

"Of course Tenchi. If you'll excuse me I will retrieve them." Honjo was the town smith, another of the men Naruto had worked on building a good relationship with. He returned with three swords, a Katana, a wakizashi, a tanto, he also had a spear head. "I made the spear head, but you will have to get your own shaft, I assume you have something for that. The three swords." He handed them all over to Mitsurugi. Naruto received the Wakizashi, and the tanto, he tucked both into his belt, but was only going to carry one at a time. Mitsurugi paid the man, and they left.

"You're one step closer to being a samurai, I've taught you most of the history, tactics of many sorts, you have your first blades, you've drawn the blood of a man who attempted to kill you, There are many things you've done that make you one step closer to being Samurai. You are thirteen now, fourteen in five months, you may have to do your Genpuku one year late, because the training is usually started at twelve, but we'll see."

"I feel like this was what I was meant to do, before I thought my dream was to become Hokage, and never paid mind to Samurai, but now I feel like my destiny is to become the best samurai I can."

-Chapter Two: End-

(1) Hidan: I can't for the life of me remember the name of the lower left side stance in Kenjutsu, so I improvised, I noticed that the other stance names ended in "Dan" or "Gan", and Hidari, the full word from which the prefix is derived means left.

(2) Migidan: Same situation, Migi means right.

(3) This theory is taken from Miyamoto's Book of Five Rings. Cutting is exactly that, aimed strikes, where slashing is more akin to hacking, large broad strokes.

(4) These are of course based off of traditional Samurai and Ninja.

(5) Much like modern English and other languages are different from their older predecessors, I surmise that in my world where their ninja are based on classical ninja, so too is their language based on but an altered version of Japanese.

_**Author's Note: Most of this story's swordplay and other skills will be based off of my own training in the style of Niten Ichi Ryu, though I favor Ittoryu. I plan on making Naruto seem super-powered, but all of his combat skills are based on very real life skills from someone who is trained in the styles. My knowledge of Samurai traditions and the like is somewhat limited, but I will be researching extensively, so if you can offer me some piece of knowledge on this topic, then please do not hesitate to do so. I would be very grateful. As for Naruto striking down an ANBU, like I said, the moves used are based on jujitsu jo-staff and arm locks. **_


	3. Genpuku, Samurai right of passage

I don't Own Naruto.

**Bold is Supernatural speech**

_Italics are Thoughts, flashbacks, and the like._

-Chapter Three: Genpuku, the Samurai Right of Passage-

One and a half years had passed since Naruto had killed the ANBU, he was now Fifteen. Naruto had changed significantly, he was now at least Five foot Eight, and his body packed with strong, wiry muscles. He was by no means the small, wiry child he was before, he now showed a great deal of his definition, but his body still hid secret power. His short unruly blond hair had straightened out, and now hung to his shoulders, he often tied it back, but would sometimes wear it down. The whisker marks were still visible, but he also now bore a scar through the three on his left cheek, from a slip up with his shadow clone, who managed to get past his guard.

Naruto awoke and dressed, ready for his training. He wore the same colors, and the same style of clothing, he picked up his Wakizashi, and tucked it into his belt. When he headed out to the dining room, Mitsurugi was standing, both swords in his belt, and Naruto's sword in his left hand.

"It's time Naruto, your Genpuku ceremony will be now." He handed Naruto his sword. Naruto bowed, and took the sword, tucking it behind his short sword. Master and Apprentice walked out into the training field as it was dubbed, stood in front of each other. Naruto felt the raw power of his teacher as he assumed the battou stance.

_"This is what it's like to face a true master. A man who devoted his life to face to face combat." _Naruto thought, and also assumed his own battou stance. The first stroke would often end it all. Mitsurugi looked his student over, and he could feel a great power from him. Not that of Kyuubi, but the power that could only be controlled by Naruto's own soul. With a flash of steel, he was upon the boy, his sword bearing down at speeds unimaginable, even for the battou jutsu. Naruto turned his blade edge down and drew upward at the last second, knocking the older man's blade away as he simultaneously ducked to avoid decapitation.Naruto drew his wakizashi with his left hand, and made to attack at the legs of his teacher, and stood, his katana in his right hand, in front of him and his wakizashi in his left to his side.

"You choose Nitoryu, the two sword style. Why fight with one when two will give you twice the chance of a fatal blow. Good." Mitsurugi dashed in, stopped and then came from the side, slashing, but Naruto jumped back, even two hands would not block a blow from his sensei. Naruto came in with the Katana, which was blocked, and then the wakizashi, then again with the katana, eventually he went for a low kick, which set his teacher off balance. The uneven ground only served to help. Naruto came down hard, managing to get a glancing blow on his teacher. The small red line opened across his left arm, it was a shallow cut from a thrust that barely touched the skin. Shallow in terms of a katana wound meant that it would stop bleeding just before you started to get dizzy. Mitsurugi held his hand up to tell Naruto to stop, and then took some bandage from his gi, and wrapped it around his bleeding arm.

"Lucky it was the left, I favor Ittoryu so my left hand is only somewhat important." Mitsurugi then went into the house, bringing out his own spear, and the one Naruto had. The spear head had been attached to a white oak shaft, it was a simple leaf shaped thrusting spear, but doubled as a formidable cutting tool. Around the base of the spear, where the blade was bolted to the shaft, Naruto had wrapped an orange cloth, because it was his favorite color, and stealth was not as much a factor in Samurai warfare. He took his spear, and instantly remembered the time he'd killed the ninja. He always took Naturally to the spear.

"It is the same rules as with the sword, land a blow on me and you pass." Mitsurugi stepped in, striking down, Naruto dodged to the right, swinging the spear like a staff at Mitsurugi's inner knees, in an attempt to take him down, Mitsurugi locked his knees which caused the shaft to strike them harmlessly. The older man then came with a sweeping blow, taking Naruto's legs out from under him. Naruto lay beneath his teacher's spear point, Mitsurugi had the point close to his throat, and in a flash, Naruto took the spear, jerked it away and rolled, taking his as well.

"So two spears now?" Mitsurugi drew his sword again. Naruto held his teacher's spear in his left hand, his own in his right, the older man stood in Seigan no Kamae, Naruto in a modified Nitoryu stance. Mitsurugi made for a sideways slash, Naruto brought up the spear in his left hand, only to find that the steel blade cut through the hard shaft, Naruto stepped back, and with a twist of his hips brought the steel butt cap into his teacher's ribs, stunning him, his right foot followed, then the spear blade, then the left foot, the blade hit home, leaving a cut where the butt cap hit. Mitsurugi fell into a kneeling position.

"You use that spear like you've been using it all your life. Perhaps you should be a horseman." Mitsurugi knew of course that because he was holding back a fourth of his ability, that Naruto was more than likely to be making up for it with his own skill.

"It feels natural to use a spear. I like swords more, but Spears are easiest for me, the bow is my hardest since I like close combat."

"Well that's the next test. Go get your bow, and meet me at the archery range." Mitsurugi drew more bandages and managed to stem the flow of blood.

Moments later Naruto was standing at the range, a one hundred foot long strip of cleared woods, with places to put targets all over. He held his bow, his arrows slung over his back. His teacher came with his bow.

"You have to match or outshoot me." He knocked an arrow and fired, a twenty foot kill shot, easy for even amateurs, Naruto did that easily. The next shot was a forty foot shot. Naruto also matched it, then a sixty foot shot, Naruto landed yet another kill shot. Eighty foot found Mitsurugi's arrow through the chest of the target he shot, Naruto managed to hit the throat.

"You think you can go for the hundred foot shot?" Mitsurugi challenged his student. Naruto smirked.

"I bet you I can land another throat shot." Naruto knocked his arrow.

"You're aiming at the smallest target on the body, but a hit there will kill any opponent." Mitsurugi adjusted his aim so that his arrow would hit the target, he let his arrow fly, and it came down on the head of the target. Naruto concentrated on his aim, adjusting to compensate for the wind, and let his arrow fly. The arrow flew true and struck the throat of the wooden silhouette. "Good job, I probably couldn't even make that shot at this distance." He smiled. "You have the day off, tomorrow you are to begin your training in the Ougi of our art." Naruto had completed his Genpuku, he now legally had the right as a Samurai to carry his daisho. Naruto bowed, thanking his teacher.

Naruto spent the rest of the day practicing his sword against himself. He also went to his room when he'd finished and removed a letter from a box in his room.It was the letter from Tsunade nearly two years ago. He wanted to read it again before he learned the Ougi.

_"Naruto,_

_The ANBU sent after you acted directly against my orders, his name was Kakushino Urashima, his brother was killed by the Nine tails, and he decided that since you were now technically a missing-nin that he would go off and kill you. I'm glad to hear that you wish to come back, but what do you intend to do? If you're training with a Samurai then you will likely be unable to return to your status as a ninja. I have some information for you, I recently discovered it. The names of your parents. Your father was Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, I found his will when I was digging around, it's addressed to you. Your mother was Uzumaki Kushina, a ninja from Whirlpool country, she died giving birth to you. I'm sorry you didn't know this before, but I want you to know that If you wish to come back, I welcome you with open arms, and I'll find something for you to do to make your living._

_Sakura has become my apprentice, she really does miss you Naruto, the day you left she came and asked for my training so that she could come get you. I think that if you come back then you should talk to her. _

_Kakashi has re-joined ANBU, since he has nobody to train, He also misses you, though he won't admit it to anyone other than Jiraiya and I. _

_Come back as soon as you can Naruto, we miss you here._

_Tsunade"_

Naruto rolled the letter back up, he began thinking about what he would do when he got there. He couldn't take missions like a ninja, in the ancient culture of the Japanese the Ninja were employed for missions that samurai would not take because they would break their honor code. These traditions carried even today in this land.

**"If you want to be of use to that woman, become a Hitokiri, a samurai assassin."** Kyuubi advised, he always knew what to say when Naruto couldn't figure it out. Naruto sat straight up, he'd been laying down before, why hadn't he thought of that?

"You're a genius Kyuubi." Naruto then lay back down.

**"It comes with age, given that your mind doesn't dull."** Kyuubi had spent a lot of time thinking, it was all there was to do other than watch Naruto's life. Naruto then went to sleep.

The next morning, Naruto woke, dressed, and put his swords in his belt. He went out to have breakfast with his teacher.

"Sensei, when I return to Konoha, I wish to become a Hitokiri."

"I made you vow that you would never be a ninja, a Samurai Hitokiri is one who kills with only his swords, it is therefore still honorable. I permit you to be a Hitokiri." Mitsurugi knew that Naruto could very well just go back to Konoha and resume his ninja career, but Naruto had never shown any dishonesty before.

"Today, and for the next month, you will be learning our Ougi, it is called Tachi no Kasai. You will recognize it as the use of chakra, sending it through the blade of your weapon." Both finished their breakfast and went to the training grounds.

Mitsurugi began by showing him the basic idea, he focused his chakra into his katana, the blade seemed to glow, and then he swung the sword, with a shout, a massive wave of chakra shot from the blade and sheared right through a number of trees.

"In order to do this, you must feel your sword as an extension of your body. You must then focus the chakra into your hands, and into the sword, then when you have enough energy you will swing the blade, and use your Kiai(1). This will launch the energy like I did, with enough training, you can use the move with multiple swings, launching a barrage of the blades of chakra." Naruto then tried it, he could focus the energy, and a massive amount of it, but he couldn't fire it. He tried again and again, failing one after one. Finally the sun began setting, and they went in for dinner.

"You've learned quickly, If you train like this, you will be able to do it soon. Mastering it takes years though, I've been practicing it for thirty five years, and have possibly come close to mastering it." Mitsurugi told Naruto about his trouble with the technique he had when he was young. "You said that your Shadow clone art could help you learn didn't it?"

"Yeah, but I thought I wasn't to train with that anymore."

"Naruto, when you passed your Genpuku, you became Samurai, you may use it, it will also help in combat, if you can make enough clones, you can create lines of soldiers and attack en masse."

"Then I'll start tomorrow. This will cut my training time into a few days." Naruto ate his dinner, and went to bed.

When he woke up the next morning, he went about his normal morning routine, and when he went out to the training field, he created one hundred clones, the largest amount that could train in the field. Mitsurugi was surprised, Naruto could turn thirty five years of training into four months of training if he used this many every day. The clones stood in lines about fifteen feet from each other, separated into four lines of twenty five, and began practicing. After a number of hours, every single clone and Naruto managed to be able to use the technique. By the end of the day, the charge time for the technique was cut to five seconds.

-One month later-

Naruto had done nearly the equivalent of ten years of training before he decided he would set off. He thanked his teacher, packed his clothing, and all his camping provisions, cleaned the room he'd stayed in for the past two years, and set off. Travel was slower, Naruto decided he'd go from town to town to avoid any ANBU who were out for his head. He could kill any of them without a second thought, but he didn't want to kill anymore of his own village's soldiers. He made it to the next town, and to the inn before nightfall.

After about a week of travel, Naruto made it to Fire country, Konoha was fifty miles from the border, so he decided to try and get to the closest town, if not he could always camp. Lucky for him he made it to the roadside inn before the storm hit, he'd seen it on the horizon, and was worried that he wouldn't find somewhere to stay.

The next day, he set off again, he got all the way to Konoha by midday, at the gate, Naruto was stopped by the guards.

"State your name and purpose." One said.

"Uzu… Tenchi Mitsurugi. I've come here to visit my friend."

"What kind of Samurai has a friend in a ninja village?" The other guard asked. Naruto simply smiled, and explained that anyone who knew the true history of ninja would understand, the men were perplexed, but let him in anyway. Naruto thanked them and walked into the village.

"I'm home." Naruto said, and went to find something he hadn't had in ages. Ramen.

He arrived at the Ichiraku ramen shop, and set his bag down.

"Hello, welcome to the Ichiraku ramen shop, what may I get for you?" Ayame, the daughter of the owner asked.

"Well, I'm not sure, what would you recommend?" Naruto remembered that nobody here would recognize him after two years, changed as he had.

"Well my favorite is the Miso." She said,

"Then I'll have the Miso. Also, could you tell me where the closest inn is here? I'm a bit of a wanderer so I have no real home." Naruto smiled, trying to put on a façade of a polite ronin. Ayame gave him directions to the nearby inn.

Naruto ate his lunch, and went to have a dip in the nearby river, today was incredibly hot, so the cool water would be relaxing.

Sakura and Ino sat by the river side, they'd taken the afternoon off to have a picnic, since it was a hot day, Ino saw the blond Samurai on the other side of the river removing his clothes, stripping down to his boxers, Sakura however had her back turned to the river.

"What are you staring at Ino?" Sakura asked. Ino replied by taking her hand and placing it on Sakura's head, turning her head, and allowing her a look at the muscular blond who was slipping into the water.

"You should ask him out forehead."

"I don't even know him Ino!" Sakura blushed.

"But look at him! He's a God! I bet he'd say yes."

"He's not a ninja either, I bet he's just another Ronin, they pass through here all the ti-"Sakura was cut off by the arrow that pierced her sandwich and pinned it to the tree twenty feet in front of her. She turned to see the blond man standing with a bow that he didn't have before, aimed in their direction. He got out of the water, dried off, dressed, and as he was putting his swords into his belt, he walked calmly across the water, and right over to the girls.

"I noticed you two were spying on me. I'm sorry for ruining your lunch but I hate perverts." Naruto calmly said to the astonished girls.

"I thought Samurai didn't have the ability to use chakra?"

"You are sadly mistaken miss, you see, Ninja were originally a branch of Samurai designed to do the missions that would break our code of honor." Naruto sealed his bow into his wrist. "We designed seals as well. As for why I can water walk? Let's just say I had a well educated teacher." Naruto had learned water walking from Kyuubi, he practiced it as a method to perfect his kata.

"What's your name?" Ino asked.

"Tenchi Mitsurugi. Fifth Successor of the Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu."

"Then that's a name given by the teacher, but what's your real name?" Sakura asked. Naruto smiled, but then he looked her dead in the eyes.

"I'll tell you a secret if you tell me why your eyes show so much pain." Naruto said quietly. Sakura mentally winced, no one had ever seen it before.

"I don't know what you're talking about. My name is Haruno Sakura, now please tell me your name."

"Miss Haruno, I'm not to be taken for a fool, I know what pain looks like, and you show much of it."

"Why should I tell you? You're a total stranger."

"Because I'll tell you my real name. If I leave now, you'll wonder every time you see me 'Now who's that man Tenchi?' And you'll never know who I really am."

"So you're sticking around?"

"For a while, yes."

"Then meet me at Han's tonight at eight p.m." Sakura said, smiling.

"Well, you'll have to show me where it is, I don't know where anything is here, except Ichiraku's, and the inn that Miss Ayame told me of."

"Fine then, meet me back here later tonight."

"Okay then, will we still be going to Han's?" Naruto knew where Han's was, it was a bar that was mostly frequented by Shinobi, but others were allowed in there.

"Yes. But don't be late, or the next time I see you I'll kick your ass." Sakura warned. Naruto chuckled a little, Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny Tenchi? Don't think I could?"

"No, I don't."

"Alright, I'll prove it." She reached into her equipment pouch, and drew a pair of black leather gloves out.

-Chapter Three: End-

_**Author's Note: I decided to make it a bit of a cliffhanger because if I didn't this chapter would be three times as long. As for why Naruto's sneaking about with the name Tenchi Mitsurugi? Well he wants to see if anyone will recognize him. My plan is to have an eventual NaruxSaku, but it's going to be different than my other stories, it is my favorite pairing though. Well, if you have any questions Review and I'll get back to you on them, if not, then thanks for reading, and review if you have anything to say. I'll hopefully get Artist's seventeenth chapter up tonight, but maybe not.**_


	4. Who Are You?

I don't own Naruto.

**Bold is supernatural speech**

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks and the like._

-Chapter Four: Who are you?-

Naruto smiled at the girl standing in front of him. It was an insane grin.

"Don't blink Haruno." Naruto was off in a flash, and with an open handed strike, he sent her flying into the trees, and even faster was he on her again, as she stood, he kicked at her. She brought her arms up to block, and stumbled back.

_"What is this guy? He's attacking with more power than Tsunade-Shishou." _Sakura ducked under a kick, and jumped the following sweep, she didn't however expect him to grab her, and fling her like a ball into the river.

"Give up?" Naruto asked, still bearing the grin on his face. Sakura stood, walking from the river, and grabbed twin handfuls of Naruto's gi.

"Who the FUCK are you?!" Sakura said, throwing him this time, clear across to the other side of the river, she was on him again, with an overhead twin hammer strike, Naruto rolled to his feet.

"I told you, I'm Tenchi Mitsurugi. My born name is irrelevant to you." Naruto danced away as Sakura tried to attack again. Sakura then made shadow clones of herself, several dozen. Naruto smirked, and drew his sword, cutting down each one, he'd remembered which one was actually her, so he didn't kill her. He could see her getting more and more angry.

"You really want to know who I am?" Naruto sheathed his sword. He slid the left half of his gi off his shoulder. "Tell me Sakura, does this scar look familiar?" Naruto pointed to the massive, round burn scar just above his left lung. "Your boy toy did this to me when I tried to get him back for you!" Naruto slid his gi back up. "I've spent every SINGLE DAY of the past TWO YEARS waking up and feeling pain in my shoulder, and then my heart!" Naruto was walking closer to her. "Do you know why Haruno?! It's because of you and that damned UCHIHA! He damaged my body, okay, that goes away after a while. But YOU! You damaged my heart!" She fell to her knees, every night she'd dreamed of Naruto coming back as the same cheerful guy he'd always been, forgiving her after a simple 'I'm Sorry, I was angry, I didn't mean it.' She never expected the sheer amount of anger that her former teammate had in him.

"Naruto I'm sorry. I really didn't me-" She was cut off by the booming voice of the Samurai.

"You apologize like that when you've said something that is simple. Something like 'I think that shirt looks makes you look really stupid.' Not 'I hate you, never speak to me again.' The only reason I'm talking to you now, is because I have some things to say." Naruto grabbed her by her shoulders and hoisted her to her feet. "FIRST! I'm going to kill that damned Uchiha when I see him next!" Naruto yelled right in her face. She winced at the sheer noise of his voice. "SECOND! If I EVER hear the name Uzumaki Naruto from you at any other time than after I decide I'll forgive you for the hurt you've caused me, I'll kill you." Naruto said that one slightly more quietly, he then shouted again. "THIRD!" Naruto yelled, and let go, he stepped back, and kneeled. "Thank you Sakura." Sakura was perplexed. "If not for you saying what you did, I'd have never met Mitsurugi Shishou, and I'd have never become who I am today." He stood, looking at her. "You can say what you have to say now, I'll listen patiently, reply calmly, and then I'll decide on how you'll earn my forgiveness." Naruto sat as she looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. She then all but fell on him in tears, sobbing her apologies.

"I'm so sorry, I never meant any of it. I never hated you, I never wanted you to stop talking to me, and as soon as you left, I realized just how important you were in my life. You're the only one who ever complimented me, and openly tried to gain my affection, or even my attention when I treated you like dirt. I will do anything to gain your trust and friendship back. Name your price." Sakura sat back, allowing Naruto breathing space. He stood up.

"You will give anything? I can take anything I like from you and in return all I have to do is forgive you?" Sakura nodded, Naruto reached into his gi, and pulled out his tanto, "Your left hand." he dropped the tanto next to her. She carefully, with shaky hands reached over to the knife, and pulled the blade with wooden handle from the wooden sheath, she placed her left hand on the grass, and carefully placed the blade on her wrist. Naruto kneeled, and watched her arm, carefully watching as the muscles in her right wrist and arm tensed. In a flash, Naruto grabbed her right hand, and twisted her wrist, breaking it in the process of disarming her. She screamed in pain.

"You were telling the truth. I decided to change my mind, instead, I'll break your right, and you'll have to wait until I come to you and say that I forgive you. But know that it won't be too long, You've gained my trust, I now know that you'd do whatever it took. And since that is the case, I'll allow you to keep your hand." Naruto took his tanto, and tucked it into his gi, leaving Sakura to nurse her broken wrist, and a gawking Ino, still trying to take in all the information. On the back of her left wrist, a small red line began to show, Sakura had actually pressed the blade into her skin enough to cut it.

Naruto wandered the streets, trying to attract the attention of anyone who would recognize his face. He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and turned.

"Excuse me sir, but do I know you?" one Nara Shikamaru asked, chess board tucked under his arm, a box of pieces in his left hand.

"I can't say that you do, but maybe a game of chess will refresh my memory." Naruto smiled his friendly ronin smile.

The two sat at a local tea house, trading carefully thought out moves.

"So what's your name ronin?" Shikamaru asked.

"I'm called Tenchi Mitsurugi, fifth successor of the Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu."

"I see, but that's not all, you see, I'm what's called a Jounin, or elite ninja, so I have access to certain files. Now I read this report on a former ninja of our village, for our sake let's name him Uchiha Sasuke, though that's not the name of this ninja. Now the report said that a year and a half ago he was marked as a B class missing ninja for possessing knowledge of our secret jutsu here. An ANBU went after him, hoping for his payday. The rumors said he had blond hair, four scars on his left cheek, and was training under a samurai named Tenchi Mitsurugi the fourth. You match this description, are you the 'Uchiha Sasuke' I spoke of?" Naruto smiled, Shikamaru had picked him apart.

"Yes Shikamaru, I am the 'Uchiha Sasuke' you speak of, however until my arrival is official I am to be Tenchi Mitsurugi the fifth."

"It's nice to have you back Mitsurugi." Shikamaru played along. They continued playing chess, drinking tea, and talking.

"So I always thought that investigation of that sort would be too troublesome for you?" Naruto asked. Shikamaru chuckled.

"Well, normally yes, but due to a certain number of events, I'm left without a good friend and my old habits." Shikamaru moved a piece, taking another, and then called checkmate. "You're good Mitsurugi, nobody other than my dad has ever come close to beating me."

"Another move and I would have." Naruto pointed to the piece that was poised to take his last protective layer, putting him in checkmate from his last remaining line of offense. Naruto paid for the tea. And then stood. "Let's turn in this 'missing-nin' then." Naruto held up his hands. Shikamaru pretended to arrest him in a way that looked convincing to the people around him, and took him to the Hokage's office with a body flicker jutsu.

"Shikamaru, who is this?" Tsunade asked.

"His name is Tenchi Mitsurugi, the fifth successor. Now as you know, before two years ago, there was only four." Shikamaru liked playing with his words. Tsunade thought for a second, and then realized who it was.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru un-cuffed him. Naruto felt the bone crushing hug next.

"Well I'm not the Buddha." Naruto said sarcastically. Shikamaru caught the reference and laughed, Tsunade didn't even hear it.

"So you're here to stay I assume? How do you plan on making a living?"

"I have two things that will help me here. First is my father's will. I want to claim whatever was left to me. Second, I want to become a Hitokiri, a special assassin for Konoha."

"I can get you the will immediately. I'll have to test your skills to see how strong you are now." She went to her desk and took out a box. It was about two feet long, and six inches thick. "The seal on the front can only be opened by you." Naruto opened the box, and saw three scrolls side by side, the middle one addressed to him. He opened it.

_"To my son, Uzumaki Naruto,_

_Naruto, If you're reading this then that means that someone has found this and given it to you. I wish I hadn't had to seal the Kyuubi into you, but it was how things had to happen. I could not ask any other parents to have their child bear your burden, and I'd expected the villagers to treat you with respect, as a hero. In the other two scrolls are two of my most prized techniques, the Hiraishin, and the Rasengan. At the end of this scroll is the key to your mansion, You'll no doubt have to clean up, but you'll have three and a half acres of land, and a ten room house. I'm sorry, but I'm also proud of you, you're destined for greatness Naruto. I love you my son."_ Naruto let the tears fall from his eyes, his father had given him everything he'd worked for.

Naruto was standing in front of the mansion, it had a concrete wall around it like most other clan compounds, and one huge house in the middle, The gates were simple and wooden on the outside of the wall, but there were seals to make them harder than solid stone on the inside. He stepped inside the walls, and uttered two words.

"I'm home." And with that he set about cleaning the place from top to bottom, several dozen bunshin cleaned every room, tile, board, and item in the entire house. He then looked at the box in the master bedroom, inside was the seal for the Namikaze bank account. He decided to make a trip to the bank the next day.

When he arrived, the seal had verified Naruto as being a Namikaze, all ninja bank seals would immediately kill anyone who wasn't acknowledged as a member of a certain clan, or someone married to said person.

"Well mister Namikaze, it appears as though you have…Oh my god!" The bank teller's jaw dropped.

"I see, that much huh?" Naruto leaned over the desk and looked at the computer, he was pretty sure he'd never seen that many zeros lined up like that.

"Fifty trillion Ryou. I'm loaded." Naruto grinned. "How much do you think it'll cost me to refurnish my house?"

"The last time the Hyuuga refurnished, they spent around one million ryou for basic effects."

"So I'll be drawing out about ten million." Naruto said, he wanted to make sure he got all the necessary effects for living.

After he withdrew the money, he divided it between several dozen clones, he had all of them gather different things, and take them back to the house. When he got there he found all of the furniture, futons, his four-poster, the T.V., all his new training gear, dishes and food were neatly put away. A knock at the door interrupted his busy-bodying. He opened the door to see Kakashi standing there.

"So Naruto, I hear you inherited all of Sensei's stuff. Nice place you've got here." Kakashi looked around the huge house, talking to Naruto the whole time.

"Yeah, now I just need to find someone to live here with me."

"Well I was here to inform you that your test is to be tomorrow at noon." Kakashi said.

"Okay, thanks, you wanna go catch some dinner? I withdrew too much cash to buy all this, and I still have about ten thousand ryou left."

"Sure, ramen as usual?" Kakashi said. Naruto nodded.

At the ramen bar, Ayame saw the strange ronin again talking with Kakashi.

"So you've met Tenchi as well Kakashi?" Ayame asked, Kakashi looked confused.

"You mean Naruto?" Kakashi asked. Ayame's face lit up as she realized who it was. Their former best customer had returned a totally different man.

"I'll have five bowls, two Miso, one chicken, one pork, and one shrimp." Naruto said.

"I'll have a bowl of Miso I guess." Kakashi said. Ayame went back and gave her father the order, who immediately got to work making them. "So Naruto, how was training with Tenchi Mitsurugi?"

"I had a lot of fun, and learned some insane moves. Of course I can't use them in the test tomorrow or I'll kill all of the ninja I'm facing. I hope it's a lot, I want to fight a huge group of people, strong people too."

"Well, I'll be there tomorrow, so will Gai, Lee, Hayate Gekkou, Sakura was going to be part of the test, but she showed up at Tsunade's office with a broken wrist, so she's out, Hyuuga Neji will be there too. Other than that it's a bunch of ANBU."

"How many is a bunch?"

"Well Tsunade, Jiraiya and I were debating about whether twenty of fifty would be better, so we decided to go with thirty five. You'll be fighting a total of forty ninja tomorrow, do you think you can handle it?" Kakashi asked, his bowl now sitting in front of him.

"Yeah, The problem is that all of the moves I know are to kill, and I don't think killing thirty five ANBU is a good idea, and I don't imagine the rest of you guys would be too happy dead either."

"Remember, fighting with the intent to kill is the shinobi way, even in sparring." Kakashi said. "Though please don't kill me, I have a date with Anko tomorrow night."

"The crazy chick from the Chuunin exams? I always figured you'd go for someone more mellow."

"I don't just read Icha Icha paradise because it's good literature. I've got ideas, and Anko is the only female in the entire village that reads it. I saw her reading it once and I was hooked."

"That's because that book is dirty! No sane woman would want to read it!" Naruto shouted.

"So. Jiraiya is good at writing dirty books. Anko can appreciate it."

"That's because she's totally insane."

"That is true." Kakashi agreed. They finished their dinner and parted ways.

Waking the next day, the samurai dressed in his usual attire, swords at his waist, in both of his arms were sealed a different weapon. When he arrived at the training field, it was empty. This was understandable as it was six a.m. and most ninja didn't wake up until eight or so. Naruto made exactly forty clones of himself, each with spear and bow as well as a sword. Naruto stood facing forty enemies, each with equal skill to him. He moved his thoughts from his mind, you think, you die. That's how it is in combat, unless you're a Nara. He breathed slowly, turning clockwise, slashing a clone's belly open, he then cut another, each falling as the one before it had. He had killed forty clones with his sword alone, now it was time for his spear. When he unsealed his spear, he made another forty, dispatching them even more quickly than those with the sword. Finally Naruto decided to have a hundred-a-side war with his clones. When he had his clones made, they were in lines, archers at the rear, spearmen brought up the front lines with the swordsmen in the rear lines. Naruto had his spear in hand, ready to charge. When the lines clashed, Naruto threw his spear into the line, following directly behind it as it landed in the middle of his enemy clone army, he drew his sword and attacked, pulling his spear from the ground and using it one handed. When he finished, almost the whole testing force was watching, applauding him.

"Alright Naruto, now it's time to test you for real. There are three rules. First you must defeat all of the opponents in single or multiple combat. Second, you must do it within the time limit, and third, you must come with the intent to kill." Tsunade explained.

"Got it. But how many of them can I 'actually' kill?"

"Try not to kill our own forces Naruto."

"The rule number three is a contradiction, either I kill them or I don't. I can't come with intent to kill and not kill, I'm just not wired that way anymore." Naruto explained.

"Still, if you can avoid it, don't kill any of the ninja." Naruto nodded. Tsunade instructed for them to start, Naruto stood as almost all the ninja fanned out, going for their respective hiding spots. Rock Lee stood there, assuming his fighting stance.

"So it's just you and I then?" Naruto asked, "Then let's go." Naruto settled into his unarmed fighting stance. Lee rushed straight on, Naruto however ducked the kick, and came up behind the ninja, he looped his arm under one of Lee's, throwing him with a Jujitsu shoulder throw, and bore down on him with an axe kick. Lee blocked the kick with his arms and took Naruto's leg out from under him with his other leg. Naruto caught himself on his hands, and used them to get back to his feet before resuming his assault on the ninja.

It was then that Maito Gai attacked from behind, Naruto sensed it and ducked, turning, drawing his sword, and striking him, but it didn't cut.

"You see, I expected you'd not want me to kill you all so I got some swords without edges." He then attacked both at once, holding them back, before striking Lee on the collarbone, breaking it. He turned and with a yell launched a Tachi no Kasai at Gai. Naruto had found a way to make it nothing more than a blunt wave rather than the razor sharp wind blast. Gai was knocked into the forest. Naruto stood in the open field, sheathing his sword, and as expected a formation of ANBU came from the trees. Naruto unsealed his bow, fired once and then sealed it away, taking his spear out, he planted the butt into the chest of the second, knocking him out. The third charged at Naruto with his sword, Naruto batted it aside with the point and took the legs from the man, bringing his own foot slamming down on his throat. The remaining ninja of that formation fell in a similar way.

"How can he do this?" Tsunade asked, Sakura and Shizune both also wondered.

"I think the training he's received gives him speed and endurance beyond what we could ever imagine." Shizune said.

"Not to mention power." Sakura added, rubbing her broken wrist.

Naruto had dispatched easily twenty of the ANBU, Lee, and Gai, Neji decided it was his turn to fight, but he didn't come alone, three other ninja came, all four of them in formation, ready to fight. Naruto smirked, and put his spear away.

"So Neji, you think your eyes can track my movements?" Naruto said. Neji smirked, and fell into his normal stance. All three ANBU stood with their swords out. "Come now, those aren't going to help you." Naruto vanished, and one ANBU fell. He now stood with a second sword. "Not fair, they can use their real swords, but I can't." Naruto felt the edge of the blade. Another ANBU down as Naruto collected another blade.

"How are you doing that?" Neji asked, his eyes unable to help him at all.

"Well, it's simple, I crouch a little, and jump, then use a battou jutsu, and jump again, and I'm back." Naruto demonstrated, taking another ANBU.

"There's no way that can be pure speed!" Neji exclaimed.

"That's what I said the first time I saw it. Being thirty times heavier than normal for two years does that to you though." Everyone's jaw dropped at that. "What?"

"Thirty times heavier than normal?" Neji exclaimed. "You would have been crushed!"

"Well, Mitsurugi said there were two fifteen times gravity seals on me, and my bokken was ten times." Naruto said. "Now enough talk, the hard way or easy Neji?" Neji re-assumed his fighting stance and charged. "Hard way then." Naruto stepped forward and drew, and in a flash of steel, Neji crumpled to the ground. Kakashi stepped out with the remaining ANBU forces, though he couldn't determine which he was. Naruto decided to attack anyway. When one ANBU blocked his attack, he knew it had to be Kakashi, when the second attacked while he was occupied, he knew this was how the bell test was supposed to have worked. Naruto ducked and pivoted under the blade, blocking Kakashi's leg as it tried to kick him, he thrust his sword into the ANBU. Dull edge or not the point was still sharp, and it parted flesh. Naruto turned the blade on his former teacher, but it was blocked. Naruto drew his wakizashi, and with his Nitoryu attacked all of the nine remaining black ops ninja. When the numbers dwindled down to him and Kakashi he sheathed his swords, and unsealed his spear.

"You're giving up speed for range?" Kakashi asked from behind his wolf mask.

"No, I'm adding to both. You see, my first kill was using a weapon similar to a spear, and Shishou thinks that it has something to do with my natural skill with it." Naruto thrust in, and felt his spear dashed aside, just as he'd expected.

Kakashi tried to make the deflection into a parry, but Naruto used the momentum, knocking his legs out from under him with the hard wooden shaft. He then brought it down, nearly hitting Kakashi again, who brought up his metal kote to block it. The metal plate collapsed under the stress, but his arm and body were protected. Naruto pulled back, and allowed Kakashi to stand. He attacked again and again mercilessly. His blows were knocked aside each time though until finally Naruto dropped the spear, drew his sword and blocked Kakashi's, and with his wakizashi delivered the 'killing blow'.

"Good job Naruto. You've successfully beaten almost all of our best within an inch of their lives." Kakashi said, Naruto smiled.

"I was hoping I'd get to use the Tachi no Kasai more than once."

"What's that?"

"This." Naruto turned and drew his sword with a yell, a wave of chakra shot forth and cut a tree in half. Kakashi let out a low whistle.

"That's a nifty trick there." Kakashi said. "You should go talk the Tsunade-sama to find out what kind of missions you're ale to do. Though I'm sure you'll be able to do what ever you want." Kakashi sheathed his sword.

Naruto went over to the Hokage, and grinned.

"Hey Tsunade, Shizune… Haruno." Naruto looked at his former teammate.

"Hello Na…Tenchi." Sakura remembered what Naruto had said.

"So… do I pass?"

"When do you want to start?" Tsunade surveyed the amount of destruction the teenage samurai had caused.

"What have you got in mind?" Naruto grinned.

-Chapter Four: End-

_**Author's Note: Well, here it is, chapter four. Any questions, comments, ideas, send them my way with a review. Not much to say here.**_


	5. The Hitokiri

If I owned Naruto, things would be different, like his choice of clothing color.

**Bold is supernatural speech.**

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, the like._

-Chapter Five: The Hitokiri-

Naruto had begun his duties nearly a month ago, and was already on his tenth long term assassination. This time his task was to kill a Yakuza leader in the Land of Fire's capital. Currently Naruto was sitting in a bar, talking to a man who said he knew something about the location of the leader.

"He lives in the mansion on the west end of town, it's crawling with guards though, I doubt a single swordsman could get past them all. Maybe if you were a ninja you could, so I'd be careful." The man said, taking a drink of his sake.

"Thanks, I'll cover your bill." Naruto set the money on the table.

When he found the mansion, there were two guards on each side of the gate.

"Hello, I'd like to speak with the boss please." Naruto put on his ronin smile.

"What's a samurai like you want with the boss?"

"I need to ask for protection, you see there's a powerful man after me, and it's rumored that he has friends, ninja friends." Naruto lied.

"You're gonna have to leave your swords here though. House rule." Naruto handed his swords over, and walked inside, once there he was led by a guard into the house.

"I'm sorry, but for the sake of my mission, you must die." Naruto pulled out his tanto and cut the man's throat. He then pulled out a small scroll and unsealed a pair of swords. "They think they got my real blades. Those were just my training swords." Naruto tucked the blades into his belt and continued down the hall. When he reached it he opened the door, and saw a man sitting at a desk.

"Who the hell are you?" The Yakuza leader shouted.

"I bear no personal grudge against you, but for your crimes against this nation you must die." Naruto drew his blade.

"Guards!"

"They'll not be coming, I killed them." Naruto swiftly cut the man's head off, removing the eye of the man and putting it in a scroll(1). The Hitokiri turned around and walked out calmly, killing every Yakuza that dared get in his way. Finally when he got out, he turned to the guards. "My swords please." He held his hand out.

"Fuck you!" One drew his sword and in bad form tried to attack, Naruto merely dodged, and struck the man with a palm strike.

"I'll ask nicely once more, my swords please."

"You lied to us to go kill our boss didn't you?" Another asked, drawing a tanto.

"I did. Now may I have my swords back, they're rather expensive." When the man attacked he countered by breaking the man's wrist and elbow. He took the tanto and put it in the man's throat.

The next attacked but was rewarded with a blade cutting him from shoulder to the opposite thigh. The fourth guard looked at Naruto.

"Take the damn swords!" He handed him the blades.

"You're the only smart one. Thank you." He went to leave but saw several of the city guards, he pulled out the plate of a hitai-ate. "It's fine, Konoha business."

"Sorry sir, we thought it was another Yakuza war." One of the guards said, saluting.

"That's fine, please clean this up though, it's quite a mess inside."

"Yes sir!" The guard motioned for the others to begin clean up.

Naruto arrived at the inn he was staying at and washed his hands, face and anywhere else the blood splattered. The Hitokiri changed into a new outfit, stowing his other one for washing when he returned home. He then went to sleep.

The next day Naruto woke up rather early, checking out and leaving. When he arrived in Konoha he went straight to the Hokage and handed her the scroll.

"I killed thirty five of the other Yakuza, only five survived."

"Okay, you can choose to take another mission or you can take some leave."

"I'll take another." Tsunade nodded and began looking through the books.

"There's a lord in a neighboring country that is believed to be sharing valuable information about ninja villages. The number of guards is going to be minimal, but he is ex-ninja, so he'll likely have a number of jutsu." Tsunade handed him the mission outline. "One hundred thousand ryou."

"Okay, I'll take it immediately." Naruto bowed and turned. He left the next day.

When he arrived at the small village, he asked around for the man, and found him residing in a local forest cottage.

"Excuse me, but are you Ikatsu Arima?"

"Yes."

"Then I apologize, but for your crimes against Konoha you must die." Naruto rushed the man, drawing his blade, cutting the man across the chest.

"So they're employing Samurai now?" The man looked at him. "But you're no normal Samurai are you?" He made hand seals."Katon: Karyuu Endan no jutsu!" The man fired a massive flaming dragon from his mouth, Naruto dodged, but found himself in the face of another fire jutsu, he used a Tachi no Kasai to split the jutsu, and another to attack, but the man dodged.

"You're right in thinking I'm no regular Samurai. I am Tenchi Mitsurugi, Fifth successor to the Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu." Naruto then made a shadow clone to give him long range archer support.

The man smiled, eyes closed, and then said. "I see." He made more seals and attacked with a barrage of powerful jutsu, all of which Naruto dodged, finally he found his opening and cut the man across the base of his spine.

"It seems your jutsu just couldn't catch me. Now for your crimes you must pay." Naruto put his sword through the man's throat. He extracted the eye from the corpse, and disposed of the body by cremation. The Hitokiri then dispelled the one clone he'd made, seeing as how it'd done him no real good.

When he returned to Konoha he handed over the scroll containing the eye over.

"Naruto, you really should take some time off, you've been killing for nearly a month straight."

"I'm fine Tsunade-sama. What's my next mission." Tsunade looked at him.

"You're required to take at least a week's leave." Naruto sighed, he wasn't going to win this.

"Fine. If you need me you know where to find me." Naruto turned and left the office. Walking down the road he looked around, not a whole lot had changed in Konoha. The villagers didn't even recognize him, but they hadn't been treating him as bad since he'd become a ninja, now they didn't even seem to notice him. He walked calmly to the ramen bar, when he arrived, he'd found Sakura and her friend Ino sitting, talking amongst each other.

"Hi." Sakura said as she noticed him.

"Hi." Naruto sat down, ordering his bowl.

"So, you said it wouldn't be long, it's been a month."

"I did indeed say it wouldn't be long, how is your wrist healing?"

"Better than it would if I weren't a medic trained by Tsunade-Shishou." Sakura said, wondering why he asked her about the wrist.

"I was always curious, can a medic remove things like birthmarks and scars?" Naruto asked, it was something he'd wondered about for a long time.

"There is supposedly a jutsu allows for that sort of thing. Only usable by the best medics."

"I see. Do you think you could remove the scar on my left cheek?"

"I can't do the jutsu." Sakura looked rather downcast.

"Oh well, it was worth a try, I guess I'll be stuck with these scars forever." Naruto ran a finger over the scar.

"So, I heard you're rich Naruto." Ino broke in.

"That's true, but I think having what was rightfully mine withheld from me for fifteen years earns you that." Naruto accepted his food with thanks. "Especially under my circumstances… supposed to be treated a hero, and I can't even access my clan's house." Naruto ate his food looking rather angry.

"So you weren't even allowed to use property that was rightfully yours?" Ino said, surprised.

"That's what I just said." Naruto continued on his food.

"It's a wonder you didn't kill us all, Even before you left you were strong, but now…"

"It's like you're on a different level than the rest of us." Sakura said.

"That's because I am." Naruto said, then continued. "So far only Kakashi has even come close, and he wasn't using his Sharingan. Kakashi could likely outmatch the Sannin. He's that strong."

"You mean that Kakashi is that strong?"

"He was holding back more than his eye when he tested me. I'm sure he could have matched me, not in speed but he's just as strong as me."

" That's unbelievable, that lazy ass can't be that good."

"Look at Shikamaru, and remember that Kakashi was Jounin at twelve. He was ANBU captain by Fourteen, he's that strong, he's lazy because he can be." Naruto said. "Some powerful people are like Kakashi and Shikamaru, some are like Itachi and myself, using their power to use it." Naruto used Itachi's name because it was the proper name to put in that spot.

"Then are you saying you're going to massacre an entire clan?" Ino said.

"If I decided to, then who would be here to stop me?" Naruto smiled, leaning back, he said. "But I won't, it would be a terrible thing to do."

"So what exactly do you do in the field?" Ino asked.

"I kill. I am sent out to kill people, and anyone who gets in the way." Naruto said, sending a shiver down the spines of the girls he was with.

"That's it?"

"That's it." He finished his food, and stood up, setting his money on the counter.

Naruto was back at his home, practicing by himself when he sensed someone at the gate. He walked over to the gate and opened it. He was surprised to see Sakura.

"Naruto, I can't stand this." Sakura said, tears sat threateningly at the edges of her eyes. "I can't have one of my last precious people not speaking to me on a personal basis." Naruto invited her into the gates. As soon as she entered, she dropped to her knees. "Please Naruto." Naruto looked down.

"I told you that if you call me that name I'll kill you, is that what you want?" Naruto put his sword next to her neck.

"I don't care! Kill me if you want, so long as you forgive me first." Sakura was still on her knees when it began to rain, it came down hard and fast, soaking them both quickly. Naruto stood there quietly, contemplating. Then in one swift movement he sheathed his blade.

"You need to leave." He said as he turned around, tears ready to fall from his own eyes. "NOW!" Sakura stayed in place.

"Not until you do what you said you would." Sakura said, remaining kneeling. "I will leave as soon as you do." Then without warning, Naruto grabbed her by her shirt, drawing his wakizashi, he slammed her against the wall, blade at her neck. "Do it." She dared. The Haruno had seen the look in his eyes, she knew she'd accomplished her mission.

The pink haired girl had not however expected what happened next. She felt a pair of warm lips on her own, she could taste the passion on his lips. He didn't break the kiss, he didn't move, he just stayed there, her against the wall, his lips against her.

"I'm sorry Sakura." He sobbed, repeating the words again and again. She led him into his house, taking him to the couch, she sat as he cried, comforting him.

"Naruto, you don't need to apologize, you never did." She placed an arm around his shoulders. The sobs slowed, and finally over time stopped.

"We need to get some dry clothes, we're soaked." Naruto stood up and offered her his hand. He led her upstairs into his room, and before he could go to the closet, Sakura grabbed him and took him in another kiss. She began pulling at his shirt, trying to get it off of him, Naruto pulled back. "I see what you want." Naruto removed his swords and placed them on the rack on his dresser. Next he removed his gi, tossing it aside before he pressed his lips against hers once more. Clothing slowly made it's way from bodies to floor as they inched toward the bed, finally Naruto had Sakura under him, still standing at the foot of his bed she lay on it. "Are you sure you want this?"

"I'm the one who started it." She gave him a smile. "Of course I'm sure." And Naruto needed no more as he climbed onto the bed as well.

-Morning, the next day-

Naruto woke up feeling a weight on his chest. He looked down to see a mop of pink hair sprawled across his chest.

**"Didn't think you had it in you kid."** Kyuubi said.

_"Every single one of my teachers were perverts, it only makes sense that some of it rubs off on me."_ Naruto admitted to the fox.

**"So what now?"** Kyuubi asked.

_"I suppose that I'll ask her to be my girlfriend, see if she wants to move in here, maybe steal one of those books Kakashi reads for some ideas."_ Though Naruto hated to admit it, Kakashi was wise in reading those books. It would give him ideas that only a super pervert could ever think of.

**"Talk to that Anko woman as well, I bet she has some tips to give you on lady pleasing."** Naruto could feel the smirk on the face of the fox.

_"That's not a bad idea. Maybe later, for now I need some breakfast." _Naruto got out of bed carefully so as not to wake the woman in his bed. He wrapped the strip of cotton bandage around his waist up to his ribs, dawned a fresh pair of hakama, and tucked the tanto into the bandage.

Sakura awoke to the smell of cooking bacon, she stood up, and took one of Naruto's yukata from his closet. When she went downstairs she saw him cooking the breakfast.

"Morning." He said without even turning around. "I see you've stolen some of my clothing." Also said without turning.

"Our clothes from last night are still wet." She walked over and set her hands on his shoulders, kissing him on the cheek. "Last night was amazing." She said quietly. Naruto smirked slightly, brushing his long hair aside.

"It was indeed, I hope you like pancakes, they're one of my favorite foods that isn't ramen." Naruto pointed to the towering stack of flapjacks. "I made bacon, sausage, and I'm working on eggs as well. Any special requests?" Sakura couldn't help but stare open mouthed at the huge breakfast.

"You made all of this by yourself? I didn't even know you could cook!" Naruto smirked.

"Mitsurugi-Shishou made sure I could. He always said to make sure you can live with bad cooking, learn to cook well, or find someone to cook for your sorry ass if you can't do either of those." The smirk broke into a full on grin. Sakura laughed at him.

"Mitsurugi sounds funny. So is it a given name to him, or a real name?"

"It's his real name, he is Tenchi Mitsurugi the fourth. I can call myself that because I learned the Ougi, I was deemed worthy to be called a successor." Naruto poured the last of the bacon onto the plate, and pulling a new skillet he started on the eggs. "How do you like 'em?" Naruto asked.

"Sunnyside up please." Sakura sat at the table, watching Naruto patiently. Naruto found it strange that not even three days ago he was killing, and now he was making eggs, it was strange, but he figured it was to be expected with his current lifestyle. He finished the food for both of them, and quickly placed the plate with her eggs and his on the table. They began eating when Sakura expressed her opinion about the food.

"This is good! Better than I've ever had!" She ate more. Finally she'd eaten her fill to see that Naruto had finished long before her.

"So what's next? You're being trained by Tsunade, only you didn't bring me back, I came home on my own. Do we hunt Sasuke? Do we go after Orochimaru? What?"

"I don't know, I don't know much about what Tsunade-Shishou has planned." Naruto began cleaning the table off.

"I'm going to go kill Sasuke, I'll do it even if that snake bastard kills me." Naruto went into his room and finished dressing, Sakura looked at him with worry in her eyes.

"Why do you want to kill Sasuke?"

"Because that bastard had everything right in the palm of his hand…Everything! And he just threw it away, like it was nothing." Naruto looked at the ceiling, then at the ninja sitting on his couch. "And then…And then he told me that I knew nothing about loss, nothing about loneliness. ME! The one who's been alone his entire life. If I could have back then, I would have killed him, but I couldn't bring myself to do it." Naruto placed his hand on his sword. "But now…"

"So it's to get revenge? That makes you no better than him, you left just like he did."

"No Sakura, I left with the intent of gaining power the right way. Through training and hard work. He wanted it handed to him on a platter. He left to kill someone he never has a chance in hell to kill. I know I can kill my target."

"You still left for the same reasons as him."

"Why are you defending him? He broke your heart, and nearly took me out too!" Naruto tried to push the anger down, but he could feel it creeping up on him.

"Because even though he never asked for it, I already forgave him, I know he's going to change, and when he does I want to welcome him back."

"So you're still hooked on that Uchiha bastard?!" Naruto felt his anger now, just behind his eyes, ready to cloud his vision with the shroud of red. "Get out."

"Naruto I-"

"GET OUT!" Naruto yelled, Sakura saw the anger.

"No." Sakura said. "I'm not leaving, because you're just assuming things." She stood up, going against every alarm in her head. "I don't still like him, I love you Naruto, and I don't want you to go down that same path."

"I'm not traveling that path. Me being here should prove that." Naruto said, the red slowly backing away. "I'm going to kill him without becoming like him." Naruto sat down. "I need some time alone. You're meeting Tsunade right?" Sakura nodded. "I'll come and find you when I've had my time to think." She nodded, then kissed him before going to get her clothes which were close enough to dry to wear.

Naruto was meditating, he knew that he'd come close to losing his temper, but he managed to regain it. It had been nearly two hours since he'd asked her to leave, and he decided that he could face her again.

Sakura had finished her meeting with Tsunade and decided to head back to her house. She saw the smoke from nearly a mile away, it was coming from her house's direction. Sakura ran as fast as she could toward the fire, and was shocked at what she saw.

"Hello Sakura." The voice said, a man sitting in front of her house.

"Hello Sasuke." She said, reaching behind her and removing her black leather gloves from her pouch. "You know I haven't finished making payments on this house. I think you owe me some money." Sakura lunged forward and attacked, nearly hitting him, but Sasuke dodged expertly. He struck her in the stomach, knocking her back and forcing the wind from her.

"No, I don't. You see, I've come here to kill you and that thrice damned Uzumaki, I don't want you coming after me when I go to kill Itachi." Sasuke drew his Chokuto, the white wooden handle had a single purple stripe down the middle.

"You may be able to kill me, but Naruto is unstoppable. I watched him take out forty ANBU, Rock Lee, Maito Gai, Gekkou Hayate, and Kakashi all without even breaking a sweat." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? Well I'll have you know that I just got done killing Orochimaru and all of his guards and experiments. Except the ones that I decided to keep." Sasuke saw it but didn't have the ability to move lest he be burned. The blow luckily hit him hard enough to knock him through the flames and leave him unscathed. Sakura was on top of him again, pounding into his face with the chakra enforced fist, Sasuke felt his body bounce off the dirt of Sakura's scorched backyard. He managed to bring a kick up to knock her away, he regained his footing, but his sight was limited by the blood now running over his left eye. He held up his sword, jumping at her in a flash, but when he swung it he was blocked by another sword.

"Hello, Teme." Naruto said, his sword drawn to defend from the attacking sword.

"Sakura here says you're strong enough to take out more than forty ANBU alone, let's see if it's true." Sasuke jumped away. That was a mistake as a wave of Tachi no Kasai quickly followed, Sasuke dodged, he had an easy time moving as he was built for speed, his body thin and wiry, but strong. Naruto was built for power, but his training gave him an unmatchable speed. Naruto was upon his enemy quickly, slashing across his chest, leaving a spray of red just behind his blade. Sasuke fell to his knee, Naruto took his blade and jammed it through his left shoulder.

"I'm going to allow you to live." Naruto pulled the katana out with force. "Do you want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because Sasuke, I want you to get strong enough to try and match me. You see, I didn't even use anything to maim you here, I simply acted on instinct. I want you to kill your brother, and after that, come and try and kill me. Because that is when I will kill you." Naruto took a cloth from his gi and wiped the blood from his blade.

"Bastard."

"So I am, but that's irrelevant, Now you should leave soon, the ANBU are on their way, and I can't have you getting caught, they'll execute you, and that's not what I want, and if you kill your brother first, the Uchiha clan will be abolished from this world." Naruto turned away, and helped Sakura up, she'd managed to burn her right leg while pursuing Sasuke, and she was sitting in front of her house healing it. They went back to the Namikaze mansion.

"I had all my stuff in that house, I've got nothing left."

"I'll get you new stuff, I have more money than I could ever use. As for living arrangements, you can live here if you want, anywhere in the house."

"Thank you Naruto, You've helped me so much, and yet you act like you've done nothing at all."

"That's what it means to be Samurai. We're not glory seekers, our true duty is to serve our lord and their citizens." Naruto said, remembering again what his teacher had told him.

"That's not what I've seen from my few experiences with samurai."

"You were not meeting true Samurai. They were only men who practiced the art of the sword, not the arts of the mind and spirit." Naruto then went on to explain how true samurai were trained to use their minds, and other weapons as tools just as much as their sword. The day had finished much as the night before. Naruto was totally unprepared for the visitors that were to come tomorrow.

-Chapter Five: End-

_**Author's Note: Well, by wracking my brain, I managed to create what I hope is a half decent NaruSaku scene. I went more in depth to Naruto's personal feelings, and I decided I wanted some Sasuke action in this one. Hopefully you all like it. Any questions, comments, suggestions, just write up a review.**_


	6. Political Involvement

I don't own Naruto, really I don't.

**Bold is supernatural speech.**

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, the like._

-Chapter Six: Political Involvement-

Naruto awoke to a knock at his door, he quickly dressed in a yukata, and tucked his wakizashi into his belt. When he opened the door he saw several Hyuuga.

"Uzumaki Naruto, we have orders to bring you to the Hokage."

"If Tsunade-Sama wanted me, she'd send ANBU. Now tell me what you were really sent for before my sword decides it wants to taste the blood of royalty." The Hyuuga saw his hand resting on the short sword's handle.

"W-We were sent to kidnap you, take you to the Hyuuga compound for assassination."

"Under who's orders?"

"Under the orders of Hyuuga Hiashi and his council." The Hyuuga said. Naruto looked at him.

"What is your name?"

"Hyuuga Yahiko sir."

"Thank you, when I get permission from the Hokage to slaughter your clansmen, if you have a wife and kids, take them into your room, and when you do, write your name on the door and I'll spare your family." Naruto said.

"That's mad!" Another Hyuuga said. "We have over two hundred Hyuuga living in the compound, you'll die before you kill even ten of them."

"Do you want to prove that?" Naruto said. None stepped up. "Didn't think so. Now you'll all die where you stand if you don't leave now." Naruto closed his door and was glad to hear that they all ran away. He dressed quickly, and took his swords with him, leaving a letter for Sakura to inform her where he was.

In Tsunade's office he explained his situation to her.

"That's preposterous Naruto! Why would they want you killed?"

"Because I've gotten stronger than they like most likely. I want permission to kill them all."

"I can't allow you to do that. That would cripple our forces."

"Then allow me to train a force better suited to replace them. I can replace the two hundred plus Hyuuga with Samurai, all personally trained by me. Then we can have them act as the police force while the ANBU go back to their special forces missions."

"Naruto, you don't seem to understand that some of our strongest ninja come from that clan."

"I know they do, and I can tell you that I plan to spare at least three, more if one of them is married."

"Three Hyuuga cannot replenish our ranks."

"No, but we have nearly one thousand ninja on duty, even removing a fifth of them is not going to cripple us so badly that we cannot function as a ninja village." Tsunade inspected his facial features. "I could, on the other hand, kill the Hyuuga, and then take all of the ninja willing to side with me out of the village. I can guarantee that Sakura would come with me, I could likely even get Kakashi. Now that would cripple your forces, those two are probably two of the most powerful ninja in the village. And I read Kakashi's reports, he's done nearly two hundred missions in the past six hundred days, averaging three days a mission, that makes him quite an asset." Naruto enjoyed playing verbal chess with Tsunade.

"Fine, do what you want, but I want to issue an official warrant first, or else the council members will have my head for this." Tsunade immediately began writing the warrant. Naruto bowed and then left.

At his home Sakura had just woken up, finding the note she was supposed to find had been removed as Naruto had returned.

"Where'd you go so early in the morning?" Sakura asked.

"I went to Tsunade's office. In approximately ten days I'm going to demolish the Hyuuga clan." Sakura's eyes shot open.

"You're what?!"

"This morning I was supposed to be kidnapped and taken to their compound for assassination. I extracted the information from one of their own who clearly didn't want to do it. I told him I would kill the entire clan except him, any children and wife he may have, and maybe Neji and Hinata."

"I see, please allow me to assist you."

"No, I can do it myself, and I don't want you to kill your own comrades, and besides, I need you to do something for me. I want you to go through all of the records of trainees for this year's academy acceptance and find the names of two hundred and fifty minor clans. I want only minor clans with roots no older than the Second Great shinobi war."

"Why?"

"I'm going to begin training a Samurai unit for Konoha, I want fifty names before next week if it's possible." Naruto had chosen the number because his grounds could accommodate fifty people easily, and he wanted the trainees to live on the grounds.

_-One Week passes-_

Naruto wandered around the city looking for something to do when he encountered someone he hadn't seen in a while.

"Neji, Come walk with me, I have some things to tell you." Naruto said, the Hyuuga obliged. They walked a ways before Naruto began speaking again. "Your clansmen are trying to kill me Neji."

"Why?" The Hyuuga asked, surprised.

"Because they likely think I'm too powerful. I'm going to ask you an important question, and I want you to answer me."

"What is it?" Neji was expecting something totally different than what he heard.

"When the Hyuuga fall, will you become their head?"

"What?"

"I'm going to kill the Hyuuga clan save for a few members, and I want you and the members I allow to live restart the clan, and under your rule I want you to lead them the way they're supposed to go."

"You're going to kill the entire Hyuuga clan?"

"Except you, Hinata, maybe her little sister, and Hyuuga Yahiko, this includes any kids or wife he has."

"He has a wife and three kids, he's an honest man, he's the one who informed you about the Hyuuga I assume?"

"Yes, and because of it I want to save him, a good man shouldn't die for a bad man's crimes."

"I'll do it then. I expect you want me to keep it a secret?"

"Yes." Naruto thought. "Say Neji, I think I can remove that caged bird seal on your head."

"You can?"

"I was taught the art of sealing, and if it's construction is proper then I can remove it." Naruto led the Hyuuga towards his house.

At the house Naruto went through book after book looking for the caged bird seal.

"Here it is, yep I can take it off." Naruto had Neji remove his headband so he could remove the seal. He went through hand seals. "Sealing Art: Unseal!" Naruto put his hand on the seal on Neji's forehead. Neji could sense the amount of chakra it had used to do it, and if the number of hand seals were any indicator then Naruto had done a lot of learning.

"Naruto, I'm indebted to you." Neji bowed.

"No, taking control of your clan is all you need to do. Lead them right." Naruto bowed as his friend left.

**"You're learning to make friends in high places. Good."** Kyuubi said to his prison.

"It helps that I knocked some sense into him a few years ago."

_-Hyuuga compound- _

Neji walked into the compound, his headband secured over his now clean forehead. A main house member called over to him.

"You, I need you to bring me a certain text from the library. Do it now."

"No. I've got more important things to do." Neji continued walking, the main house member tried to use the caged bird seal on him. When it didn't work, the main house Hyuuga yelled at him.

"Why is the caged bird seal not working?!"

"Because my friend Namikaze Naruto removed it."

"That's interfering with clan affairs!"

"So is the assassination attempt on him, be grateful that he didn't have Tsunade-sama imprison you." Neji knew he was talking to a council member, the man's face was now a mask of shock. "Though rumor has it he'll be coming to have a talk with the council members in a few days, that's what he told me anyway." Neji smirked and walked off.

When he found Hinata he immediately pulled her aside.

"Hinata, we need to leave."

"Why?" Hinata was worried at the serious tone of Neji's voice.

"I can't tell you here, just get your equipment packed like you're going on a mission, I've got to go speak to Tsunade-sama to get a false mission, then I'll tell you once we're gone."

Neji had done just that, he came and showed it to his uncle, luckily the Hyuuga council member hadn't talked to him yet and he had been granted safe passage out. At the gate he saw that Yahiko was on guard duty.

"Naruto is supposed to be visiting in four days, be prepared." Neji said as he walked by, Yahiko nodded.

After they left the village on their 'mission' and they weren't subject to prying ears, Neji began explaining.

"Hinata, Naruto's going to slaughter the clan. They tried to kidnap and assassinate him, so he's going to go to the compound in three days and kill them all."

"So that's why we're not there." Hinata's face grew sad, her entire family was to be killed, and by the person she looked up to.

"Yes, it is a shame that they got on his bad side, he would make a good ally. He wants to save us though, and I'm to be the clan head of the new Hyuuga clan." Hinata looked at him proudly.

"But isn't a clan head supposed to be married?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, but we'll have to work around that until I take a wife." Neji then realized that when the massacre happened he'd have two choices inside his clan, Hinata and Yahiko's daughter who was around their age.

-Namikaze mansion-

Naruto had finished his personal training, he'd always trained against clones because they would show him gaps in his own form. Sakura came into the gate holding a folder filled with files.

"I found over three hundred candidates, all fitting your specifications. Why exactly do you want to create a samurai unit?" Naruto explained his reasons, Sakura quickly nodded in understanding. "We have had a shortage of qualified ninja to go on high class missions, this will take care of that problem, plus we'll have an upper hand in war." Naruto spent most of the rest of his day looking over the files Sakura had brought him.

-Three days later: Day of the Hyuuga slaughter-

Naruto woke, dressed and took his swords. He went to his shelf and took a scroll off. Sealed inside of it was a suit of armor made of metal to resist chakra, it was red in color, the helmet had a fixture atop it that many would say looked like a halo. When he donned the armor it felt surprisingly light, he'd never worn armor before, but he figured it would be useful. Naruto set off toward the Hyuuga compound.

The guard of the front gate was surprised when he saw the man in red armor approach the gate, at about five meters the guard tried to warn Naruto.

"You will not pass." He held the spear out, Naruto cut the spear away and killed the guard. He summoned clones to stand atop the walls of the mansion and they drew their bows. He then summoned another platoon of clones, nearly a full thirty to accompany him inside. All armed with spear and sword the army of blond samurai broke down the gates and the Hyuuga slaughter began.

The Hyuuga who hadn't been murdered yet either fought or ran for dear life, either way they were killed, every man, woman, child, all of them killed, Naruto swore he wouldn't leave survivors, he knew the feeling of loneliness and so he couldn't allow any others to feel it. Finally he reached the council room, it was at the far back of the compound and heavily guarded.

The guard's screams reached the Hyuuga officials inside the thick walls, and the fear in that room was nearly tangible. Finally the doors gave way under a massive kick. They saw the samurai in red armor.

"Hello Hiashi, I must say I'm disappointed." Naruto said as he removed the mask part of his helmet. "I expected the great Hyuuga clan to put up more of a fight, one hundred and thirty have already fallen to my blade, and I suppose there's maybe ten more here, I'll have to go look for the rest."

"Why are you doing this demon?!" One council member shouted. Naruto walked to him, taking his wakizashi he put it to the man's throat.

"That is why, a fellow prince of Konoha and you can't even respect me as such. I do recall that my father said I was to be treated as a hero, not a piece of trash, if you corrupt Hyuuga were to have acted with real honor you would have saved me every time I took a beating, not joined it." He cut the man's throat, turning to another. "But no, instead you threw your lot in with those bigots!" Naruto struck down another councilman.

"Please! We'll give you anything if you just spare us." One begged.

"That's the problem, is that you hide behind your clan name, expecting everyone to fear the great Hyuuga, but I've never known fear, so I've come to expose the weakness of the Byakugan. The User." Naruto killed a third.

"STOP!" Hiashi shouted, taking a Juken stance. "I'll not stand idly by and have my clansmen slaughtered." Hiashi rushed Naruto, his Juken ineffective against the chakra warding armor he wore.

"You're a funny man Hiashi." Naruto kicked in Hiashi's left knee. "Treating your own daughter with such dishonor and then acting like your family means something to you. It kills her inside, I can tell it by how she talked to me when we were young." Hiashi's screams of pain only worsened when the other knee was broken in. Hiashi now fell on his back, knees broken.

"Then take my life, I am unable to even protect my clan, but know that I never saw you as a demon, I simply could not act on my wishes to take you in, it is against our clan's laws, and I would have been banished." Hiashi averted his eyes in shame.

"Then you will have an honorable death." Naruto dropped his tanto in front of the man, who committed seppuku. He wiped the blood away and then turned to the remaining council members. "You will suffer the most dishonorable deaths, I will make you suffer, scream in pain, and die slowly for your animosity!" Naruto cut them with quick and shallow strokes of his blade. The Hyuuga men screamed in pain. He moved on, continuing his systematic murder of the largest clan in Konoha.

When it was over, he found Yahiko, allowed him out, then burned the compound to the ground and went home. Sakura waited at the gates to see her boyfriend covered in blood of innocent and guilty men alike. Naruto went into his room and removed his armor, discarding his clothes for clean ones, and he went to the shower.

The nightmare he'd experienced that night was terrible. He could see the faces of each and every Hyuuga looking at him, each waiting for the moment he passed into their world, ready to tear him to pieces again and again.

He woke in cold sweat and fear, he'd never known such a terror.

**"The murder is getting to you boy."** The Kyuubi stated the obvious quite often.

_"I know that, I need to find a way to make this pass."_ Naruto carefully got out of bed and dressed in his yukata, he then went to the room he'd made his meditation room. It always helped.

The knock at the door interrupted his meditation. When he answered it he found two ANBU at the door.

"Namikaze Naruto, you are under arrest for the murder of the Hyuuga clan."

"No, I had a warrant from Tsunade herself." Naruto looked at the ANBU carefully. "You're from the 'root' group aren't you? Danzo's wanted to get rid of me for a while now, well you should leave now, I don't want blood on my doorstep." Naruto showed them the warrant and then went inside.

"That Danzo lied to us. He said that Naruto had gone berserk and killed them all, not that it was just like the Uchiha massacre, that it was warranted by the Hokage. We need to go talk to Tsunade-sama." The ANBU said to his partner.

-Chapter Six: End-

_**Author's note: I'm sorry, but I feel this chapter is not up to par, but I have had serious writer's block, and it's coming in bits and pieces. As you may have realized news of Naruto's heritage has spread rather fast, what kind of enemies will it attract? And what is to become of Danzo and his 'root' organization?**_


	7. Dead men do tell tales

I don't Own Naruto, or anything I make reference to in my stories, unless it's an idea I came up with myself.

**Bold is supernatural speech.**

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, the like._

-Chapter Seven: Dead men do tell tales-

Tsunade burst into the office of her advisor Danzo in a rage.

"Danzo what is the meaning of this?!" She threw the sworn statements of the ANBU who had discovered his deception.

"I was trying to clean filth of the str-" Danzo's sentence wasn't finished, a slap resounded in the office.

"He is no filth! You know yourself he is royalty in this village, and he is trying to preserve healthy growth of the three remaining royal clans of Konoha." Tsunade paused. "The Uchiha has failed altogether, unless we can get Itachi back into the village, and even then it will be generations before it returns to it's former glory." She showed him the warrant. "The same of the Hyuuga, they were soon to collapse. Even branch members treated him as trash. He saved enough members that they can restore the clan in time. The Namikaze was thought dead for fifteen years, but it's come back."

"You're saying that boy is helping the village flourish?" Danzo thought for a moment, clearly thinking over what he had done. "Then I will have to apologize to Naruto myself." Danzo had actually intended.

"Sorry Danzo, I can't risk you being near him, I'm placing you under arrest for breaking Sarutobi's Law of Secrecy." Two main group ANBU appeared, flanking him and taking him by the shoulders.

"Tsunade I beg you to reconsider!" Danzo was lead off by the ANBU.

"No, it's been un-enforced for too long, I am going to make it known. As for Naruto, that boy is highly intelligent, I may just make him my new advisor." Tsunade followed the ANBU for a while, until they took him to the execution ground, The law was after all punishable by death, and in her short time Danzo had broken it several dozen times.

_-Namikaze mansion-_

Neji and the other members of the Hyuuga clan had come to personally thank Naruto for sparing them, each had deserved it, but it was an act worthy of thanks regardless.

Naruto answered the door in his morning yukata, shocked at seeing the remainder of the Hyuuga clan on his doorstep.

"To what do I owe the honor of the whole Hyuuga clan visiting me this morning?" He chuckled, Neji answered for them all, as he was now clan head.

"We've come to thank you Naruto, you saved us all, and you removed the caged bird seal from me." Neji bowed. Yahiko spoke next.

"You've allowed our clan to flourish without the oppressive laws, my daughter can now spend time with her boyfriend without having to sneak around." Yahiko and his family bowed. Hinata just bowed.

"Thank you Naruto-kun."

"You have nothing to thank me for, I was doing what I thought right. You were the only ones whom I couldn't see the hatred pouring off of. Now Neji, I've seen the way you look at Tenten." Naruto gave him a very suggestive look, Neji blushed.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do, and I've heard her talking about you, I say go after her. Can't revive your clan on your own after all." All of the members of the clan blushed at this. "Well, I don't know how long it will take for them to clean up your compound, so you're free to stay here until they do." Naruto opened the door, smiling.

"You are like the Buddha himself Naruto." Yahiko had obviously heard of the religion that he followed.

"You are familiar with the Buddha's teachings?" Naruto's smile brightened.

"I have read small amounts in the clan library."

"I have many books and scrolls of his teachings, so many people have re-written his teachings or simply focused on one or two, it is amazing, you are free to read any of them if you please." The other Hyuuga members were totally in the dark about what they were talking about. Yahiko's wife Taka leaned over and whispered in Neji's ear.

"Yahiko is very fond of ancient religions, he studies theology in his spare time." Neji nodded understandingly as the two continued speaking. Sakura came in about this time, fully dressed.

"I see we have company." Naruto nodded and explained the situation. About this time a knock came.

"Hello Tsunade." Naruto answered.

"I had Danzo killed. He broke Sarutobi's law of Secrecy, and I was fed up with it when I got the reports from his men about his failed kidnapping attempt."

"I see, that makes you short of an advisor then." Naruto then connected the two things. "And you think I'd make a good political advisor."

"That would also give the village a well rounded council, one civilian, Homura, myself as a ninja, and you as the leader of the future samurai clan."

"It does make sense, but your council meetings will be limited when I continue taking missions."

"I didn't meet with them a whole lot anyway, and besides Jiraiya is also a brilliant man, so he may be able to help in your absence."

"I see, I do wish to take on a mission soon, perhaps after some breakfast we can talk this over?" Naruto invited her in for breakfast.

Breakfast had been spectacular to say the least, everyone had enjoyed the company of the others. It eventually subsided as Naruto decided he needed to go speak to Tsunade about the mission he was to go on.

"You know that the academy will be opening up again in just a month."

"Yes, I was also meaning to talk about that, I don't want the students to be prepared, I want them sent into my class, and I'll take it from there."

"I see, so it's like a surprise draft. Very devious of you." Tsunade nodded in approval.

"I will of course give them a choice, if they want to leave, they may." Naruto said. "So it's not quite a draft."

"Anyway, a member of the terrorist organization Akatsuki has been captured and they need someone to perform the execution in a way that will surely kill him." Tsunade handed him the previous report, and the current mission outline.

"so it's a tricky one then, let's see, Zetsu of the grass." Naruto went on to read the details, Zetsu had been captured in Konoha, deported to Grass, and they wanted someone from Konoha to execute him as well as transport the payment for the bounty. "I'll be back in a few days."

_-Kusagakure no sato-_

Naruto was standing in front of the green man, he'd removed all personal effects, including the ring he wore. He read the man his last rites.

"Zetsu of the grass, you are sentenced to death for treason, unlawful murder, and conspiring with a terrorist organization. What are your last words?" Naruto asked.

"Pein-sama will have his wish, you will all feel his wrath." Zetsu then bowed his head, accepting his death. Naruto made seals with his hands, "sealing arts: Hell bind!" Naruto had ensured that when he delivered the final blow that Zetsu's soul would be removed from his body by the reaper himself. "Repent in hell." Naruto swiftly drew his sword and made a clean cut, decapitating the strangely mutated man. In that instant, the reaper of souls came to the plane of existence called life.

**"You have done a service Namikaze. This man was never meant to live, he is an abomination of the arts your kind call science. You will be allowed one request."** The reaper was not at all a fear inducing being, he looked like an angel that had rolled in a bed of charcoal.

"Reaper of souls, I ask that you allow me to speak with my father, As you know I never was able to hear his voice, This is my request." Naruto had cleaned his blade and knelt.

**"Done."** With a wave of his hand the reaper called the man known as Namikaze Minato back to the land of the living.

"Father…" Naruto stood, seeing the late Fourth Hokage, his father standing in front of him.

"Naruto. I see you've pursued a different path than I did. The Samurai way is no less honorable." The older man smiled. Naruto explained the situation that had led to his becoming what he was. "I see, Lord reaper, may I send a message along with Naruto back to my homeland?"

**"You may, write it on this." **the reaper held out a scroll, and Minato wrote his message. The seal put on it signified that it was written by Namikaze, but also that it was taken from the land of the dead.

Naruto took the scroll from his father, and nodded.

"Remember your priorities son, do not let revenge consume you, and always stay loyal to those you love. Oh and don't put jalapenos in your ramen, it makes your farts burn." The elder man said, laughing with his son.

**"Minato, your time is up."** The reaper said.

"Good seeing you son, hopefully I'll have to wait a while to see you. I'll say hi to your mom for you." Minato embraced his son in a hug.

"By dad, I love you." Naruto's eyes threatened tears.

"I love you too son." And then the Reaper took the man away. The man who was told to accompany him and confirm the execution wore shock on his face. Naruto simply turned and left.

When he returned to Konoha, the whole trip had taken four days, he took the scroll to Tsunade.

"My father brought Konoha a gift." Hr handed over the parchment. Jiraiya, who happened to be around.

"You have a dead man's seal on that paper? That means I'm going to see my pupil again." The old man smiled.

"He asked it to be presented to the people." Naruto said to Jiraiya. "And it's going to be a recorded message, not actually him but a clone sealed into the paper."

"It doesn't mean seeing him will be any less satisfying." Jiraiya responded.

"Well let's gather the citizens, they'll want to hear this." Tsunade said, she then sent out all the ANBU in the city to spread the word.

After nearly an hour, citizens of the city, ninja and civilian were gathered in the one place large enough to gather them all. The city square in front of Hokage tower.

"Citizens of Konoha, I've had you gather because we have received a message from our late hero Yondaime Hokage."

"That's preposterous! He's been dead fifteen years!" Jiraiya stepped up.

"No, actually there are ways for even dead men to send messages if the Reaper permits it." Jiraiya shouted over the crowd.

"Now let us show you what he has to say." She handed the scroll to Naruto, who in turn opened the Namikaze seal and opened the scroll facing the crowd. In a cloud of smoke the former Hokage was standing facing his former subordinates.

"Citizens of Konoha, I have come to say many things. First of all is that I'm disappointed that you couldn't see Naruto as a hero, he truly is, he's the only reason that I was able to stop the Kyuubi, because he's held it inside him for fifteen years. Next, I must also say that I'm disappointed in his treatment here, he's taken a burden like no other and you punish him for it?" The people cowered under the harsh words of their hero. "Third, I don't want him treated as royalty even though he's my son, I want him to be treated like a hero who has earned it, he's worked hard and is still working hard to gain recognition. And when he passes I want his face carved on the Hokage monument, it deserves to be up there for the things he has done." Minato then smiled. "I've missed this village very much, it was my home, and it still is, I hope you all can come to honor these wishes of mine. I love all of you, the people whom I used to lead." With those last words he vanished forever. Many people stood and reconsidered the things they'd done, they had been too blinded by anger to see what Naruto had really done. They slowly dissipated, and finally they were all gone.

Naruto had begun his walk home, thinking on what his father had said.

**"These past few days have been a surprising turn of events boy." **Kyuubi said.

"That they have." he was stopped by a man. "May I help you?" The man then fell to his knees.

"I have to apologize Naruto-san, I lost my brother in the nine tails attack, and I've done nothing but mistreat you for saving us all. I hope you can forgive me."

"Stand." The man stood instantly. "You sold me rotten food and overpriced the good items." Naruto looked at the man sternly. "But my dad said that I'm to be treated like a hero who earned it, and it wouldn't do to go and not forgive the people who were simply acting out of pain and fear that my dad's seal would let the fox out again. I can forgive you." The man bowed low, and thanked him, leaving.

Naruto experienced this many times on the short walk home. When he arrived, he felt a presence in the grounds.

"Come out! I know you're there, we'll fight here and now, not like cowards." Itachi and his partner appeared.

"Hello Naruto, I don't suppose you would come with us quietly?" Kisame asked, giving his shark like grin.

"No can do. We're going to duke it out, if you win you can take me. And you can have Zetsu's ring back." Naruto pulled the sealed ring out of his gi. Kisame rushed in first, Naruto blocked the sword with the sheath of his, spinning as he drew and cutting Kisame while he was on retreat.

"A fast one aren't you?" He made ready to charge again. "Itachi, do your thing." Naruto had already experienced the Genjutsu abilities of Itachi when he'd gone to find Tsunade, and avoided any eye contact with the man of any sort. To do this he closed his eyes.

"You will grow to fear the Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu." Naruto assumed a battou stance. Kisame flinched.

"You're a master of _**that**_ style of swordsmanship?" Kisame looked at Itachi. "We best get out of here Itachi, or he's going to dice us up. And I don't want to be sushi."

"We have our orders, and whether we lose our lives or not is irrelevant." Itachi said in his quiet voice.

"You won't just lose your lives." Naruto made the seals for his Hell Bind. "Sealing Arts: Hell Bind!" The art had a disadvantage of a limited time span. Naruto vanished, and was upon Kisame, who barely blocked the blade, he had to jump away to avoid the razor sharp blade. Naruto left no room for a counter, his defense was almost perfect. Finally Naruto managed another cut on Kisame, this one across his right arm, causing him to drop the blade. Kisame drew a ninja-to, his back up sword had only been used once before. The ex-mist ninja had to use both hands to block Naruto's powerful blows. The Konoha samurai pressed on, drawing his wakizashi and cutting Kisame across the belly.

"May you atone for your sins in hell." Naruto said, turning on Itachi.

Itachi now realized escape was his only option, Naruto's moves were too fast to track with his Sharingan and he had a feeling that Amaterasu wouldn't work.

"Itachi, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?" Itachi was biding his time, he knew these may very well be his last moments, and it scared him.

"Why did you do it? Why kill all of your family? And why leave Sasuke alive?" Naruto had wiped his blade clean, and still had his eyes closed.

"Because Naruto, they were corrupt, and they wanted to conquer Konoha. And they would have had I not done what I did." He sighed. "But I cared for Sasuke too much, I couldn't take his life. But now I've seen what he' become. I have something to ask you."

"What?" Naruto could now understand.

"Two things really, the first being, did you really slaughter the whole Hyuuga clan?"

"I did. Their leader tried to assassinate me, so I destroyed all but five, those who I trusted."

"And I also want you to destroy what my brother has become. He's a monster, and I can't bear to see my young brother be such a beast." Itachi said, he took the ring from Kisame's finger. "You should take mine too, these rings are important to Pein's method of control. I'm turning myself in." Itachi removed his ring and closed his eyes, bowing to Naruto.

The Namikaze could sense that Itachi bore no ill intentions and walked carefully to the ninja, taking the rings and then taking the man by his wrist and shoulder, a method of control.

The ninja was imprisoned in the top security ninja prison at the time, he would serve two years for consorting with a terrorist organization, and then be released as a civilian with no chance to ever become a ninja again.

Inside the prison Itachi was content with what he'd been given, he'd gotten what other ninja who were to have their ninja status removed, that was a seal which prevented him from using more chakra than what would keep him alive.

Naruto had taken the rings to Tsunade, he told her to give the money to the public, he had enough cash as it was.

-??-

"Pein-sama, it seems that Kisame and Itachi have both been killed." Some unknown member of the group said.

"So be it, were their rings recovered?"

"No, they were taken by their killer, also, Itachi's body was never recovered, we suspect that it was Uzumaki Naruto, he disappeared for a long period of time and now he's returned incredibly strong."

"I see, send Madara to find the young Uchiha. As for the Kyuubi container, Eight is enough, the boy is to die at any cost." The member of the organization fled quickly, Pein would never make such decisions if he were thinking clearly.

Madara had been listening in on the conversation.

_"So I get to corrupt yet another Uchiha?"_ He smiled beneath his mask. _"Maybe this one won't die." _Madara then set off to find the Uchiha he was to search for.

Naruto was in a predicament, he'd told the ANBU last week that he didn't want blood on his doorstep, but that's what he had now, Kisame died right in front of his door. Now he knelt on the dirt and stone pathway scrubbing the stones and washing the blood out of the dirt path with a bucket of water, hoping to dilute the dried blood, allowing it to seep into the dirt invisibly. The stones washed clean, and eventually the dirt settled brown again. When he stood up, he thought of what Itachi had said.

_"I can't bear to see the beast he's become."_

"Looks like I've got more than one reason to take him out then." Naruto thought aloud. He looked up at the sky to see a messenger hawk, one he recognized as the Sunagakure breed soar towards the tower. "Well looks like I may have some more work to do. Let's get cleaned up." Naruto stood, and walked into the mansion, and almost exactly fifteen minutes later He and Sakura were called to the Hokage's office.

"Gaara's been kidnapped."

-Chapter Seven: End-

_**Author's Notes: I got you again! I really hate killing Kisame again, but he's always a troublesome obstacle in my plots. I had fun writing and then re-writing that short battle though. Itachi is again to be an important part but not like in Artist of The Blade. Root is to be integrated into the normal ANBU forces with their leader gone now. I'm hoping to get started on a Naruto Temari pairing in my next story, it's my other favorite pairing, but it's going to need some planning, so don't expect it too soon, maybe a few more chapters of this first, if I can do it then another one for Artist too.**_


	8. Learning the Plan

I don't Own Naruto, I do own however, some good ideas.

**Bold is supernatural speech.**

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, the like._

_**-Previous Chapter-**_

_"Well looks like I may have some more work to do. Let's get cleaned up." Naruto stood, and walked into the mansion, and almost exactly fifteen minutes later He and Sakura were called to the Hokage's office._

_"Gaara's been kidnapped._

-Chapter Eight: Learning the Plan-

Naruto stood there, dressed in his usual attire, betrayed no emotion.

"Itachi told me they were going to be kidnapping Jinchuuriki." Naruto said quietly. "We might need him on this."

"He's got no chakra left, and besides he has a two year sentence with no chance of ever becoming a ninja again."

"So be it, but these guys are tough, I had a hard time beating Kisame, and I don't know what tricks they have up their sleeves." Naruto shrugged, listening to the mission briefing.

"So we have identified the two targets, one is believed to be a puppeteer by the name of Aka Suna no Sasori. The other is an explosives expert named Deidara, last name unknown. Both are S-classed criminals, kill on sight." She passed around the last known photos of them, Deidara was a blond man with a haircut similar to that of Konoha's Yamanaka Ino. Sasori, or his vessel anyway was a large metallic scorpion type device.

"Scouts from the border report them traveling our way, your team is to intercept them." The team was Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and team Gai. "You have one hour, meet at the west gate and depart." Tsunade let them prepare for the mission.

Naruto was meditating, he did this before each mission. He stood and dawned his armor, the same red armor that he wore to the Hyuuga compound only weeks before. Sakura and himself went to the gate, all the other members already there, Kakashi was last to arrive.

They traveled all the way to the border of River country, night had long since fallen, but they moved in the dark, hoping to gain ground on the enemy.

Morning came and the team set out again. Far off in the distance, Hyuuga Neji could see the two men with his Byakugan.

"Three kilometers west, if we're quick we can intercept them by surprise."

"Okay, Naruto, we need a line of Archers, they'll initiate contact, then have them arm with spears and charge, when they're depleted we'll move in and attack." They covered the distance quickly, and that was exactly how it happened, one clone decided to take back Gaara, and jumped as if to take Deidara off his giant clay bird, and swiped the ninja off the living art. The clone retreated quickly, taking Sasori's kunai in the back, but retrieving the target.

"Gai! Lee! Get Gaara back to Suna!" Kakashi barked the order and it happened just as quick. The remaining ninja attacked, Naruto firing arrow after arrow at Deidara, who responded with clay birds that exploded, Naruto would shoot them from the air, and eventually one arrow struck the ninja. Tenten and Sakura moved in on Sasori with Kakashi.

Neji and Naruto attacked the explosives user, Neji came from his left side and struck the tenketsu in his left arm, rendering it immobile, Naruto's arrow had done the same of his right, Naruto unsealed his spear, and hurled it, piercing the ninja's chest. Killing him.

Sasori was a much harder nut to crack. His tail allowed three hundred sixty degree defense, and his hard shell was impervious to Tenten's sharpest long range weapons. Naruto and Neji joined the fight.

"We need to remove that tail, but nobody can get close enough to it." Kakashi said. Naruto smirked under his mask.

"Leave that to me." He assumed his stance, and his katana started to charge chakra. With a spin and a kiai, a Tachi no Kasai launched from the blade at horizontal trajectory, cutting clean through the metal tail.

"What the hell was that?!" Sasori shouted.

"Your armor is good for fighting ninja, I'll give you that, but you've never fought a samurai, especially one of the Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu." Naruto fired off another blade, taking off the left arm and leg. "So now you're useless, because we can fight at farther ranges than you." Naruto removed his mask. "Here is the face of the one who will kill you." Naruto was about to fire off another Tachi no Kasai, but Sasori was suddenly gone, not even Neji with his Byakugan could track him.

"Weird…" Sakura said, looking around, they were standing in a desert without knowing what to do next.

"Let's go get Gai and Lee, then we can head out." Kakashi said, they began in the direction of the Sunagakure village.

Inside the village they found Gai and Lee preaching their 'Flames of Youth' to a very uninterested Gaara. They quickly pulled the two away, Naruto took a moment to remove his armor and seal it away. As they left, Temari approached Gaara.

"Brother, who was the Samurai with them?" She asked.

"That was Naruto."

"You mean the loudmouth punk who beat you all those years ago?" Gaara nodded. Temari looked at him. _"He's changed a lot."_ She thought to herself.

The rescue team made it back to Konoha in one piece, and after reporting to Tsunade they went their separate ways. Naruto however was kept behind.

"Naruto, there have been rumors of Sasuke and his group Snake moving around too close to Konoha, I need you to go when you feel rested enough and exterminate or expel them."

"I can leave tomorrow."

"How are you and Sakura doing Naruto?" Tsunade asked. Naruto flinched for a moment.

"Um… Good I guess."

"I want you to spend some time with her before you move on Sasuke, us women need to be cared for, and you've been really busy lately Naruto. Take her out, do something for her." Tsunade said. Naruto looked back and thought on it, he hadn't been spending much time with Sakura.

"Alright, I'll leave in three days." Naruto reconsidered.

"Good, now go plan something nice for the girl." Tsunade shooed him off. Jiraiya was sitting in the window.

"Making up for what you don't have Tsunade?" He smirked.

"Partially. And I'm making sure he doesn't end up like you and Kakashi."

"Devilishly handsome?" Jiraiya grinned.

"No, alone and perverted." Tsunade deadpanned.

"That's cold Tsunade."

"But it's true."

Naruto walked home, planning what he was going to do, he'd remembered this one place he'd seen, some high class restaurant, he went in.

"I'd like to make reservations for tomorrow." Naruto said.

"Let's see how many spots we have open." The woman looked through her books. "You're in luck, there's only one left. Name please?"

"Namikaze Naruto." She nodded.

"What time?"

"Eight p.m."

"Alright, thank you, we'll see you tomorrow." Naruto nodded and left.

When he returned home, it was just like before, he'd felt the presence again, and called it out, but when no one came, he drew his sword and began to walk the perimeter.

He rounded the first corner, nothing. He rounded the second corner…nothing, and then, when he was making it around to the back door he saw the person whom the presence belonged to, and something that chilled him to the bone.

"Hello dobe…" Sasuke stood there, his sword in the ground, he was sitting on Sakura's unmoving form. "I told her I was just waiting for you, but she insisted on attacking."

"You bastard!" Naruto went to draw his sword but stopped when Sasuke pulled his blade from the ground and pointed it down on the back of Sakura's neck.

"You don't want to do that." Naruto dropped his hand. "You see, I've got a bit of a problem here. You captured my brother, the one I've been trying to kill for damn near half my life now, and the organization I'm now working with want you dead." Sasuke was using the sword as a pointer now, pointing the blade at Naruto lazily. "Now what I want from you is first to break my brother out of prison, bring him to me at the location I'm going to leave you, and I'll return your girl here." Sasuke stood, bringing Sakura up with him as well, he waved with his sword hand and was gone.

Naruto swore loudly, returning to the restaurant first to cancel his reservations, since it was on the way, and then to Tsunade's office.

"I need Itachi."

"No brat, I already told you, he's in there for two years, and he's not much of a use to you anyway."

**"THEY TOOK SAKURA!" **Naruto shouted, "And he can use a sword better than any other shinobi I've met. Sasuke wants Itachi in exchange for Sakura. And don't you dare say no because I swear to god I will kill you if I can't get Sakura back." Naruto's eyes slowly bled into the red of his Kyuubi state.

"Naruto! Why didn't you say so!" Tsunade clapped, disregarding the death threat, she knew how he got when his precious people were in danger. An ANBU was instantly in the room. "Get this man Itachi's cell key. And a sword, get a sword as well." Naruto turned and followed the ANBU.

Naruto stood in front of the cell as it was opened, he walked in.

"Come on, we've got a sibling to go kill and a damsel to rescue." Naruto held out the ninja-to he'd retrieved. Itachi looked up, he looked just the same, though slightly more muscular. He stood up and stretched slightly, and then accepted the blade, strapping it over his shoulder, they walked out of the prison.

"So he seriously came to your house and just walked off?"

"Yup, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do, I wasn't going to risk hurting Sakura. Sasuke isn't the kind to hurt someone who listens to him, so she'll be fine as long as she is obedient." Naruto and Itachi headed east.

Sasuke was walking, Sakura on his shoulder, it was only a day's travel from Konoha, but it was hard to keep her unconscious that long. Finally he made it to the place, and dropped her in the room, making sure it was the cell he had prepared.

When Sakura came around, her neck and head really hurt, and she realized she couldn't move, her legs and arms were bound. When she tried to slip out of them they tightened, and when she tried to untie them she realized that the ends were too far from her fingers to grab. She was trapped. Trying for all her concealed blades she found that all of them had been removed,

_"Whoever captured me must have known where I…SASUKE!"_ All of her memories suddenly came back to her in a flash. She calmed herself, focusing on her first task, escaping the cell. She closed her eyes, calming her breathing and heart rate, then as she tried to focus chakra, something odd happened. Nothing. Trying again she failed again. She looked around and realized why, the walls were covered with the same seals used to subdue ninja prisoners in Konoha. Molding any amount of chakra was out of the question, so she had to think outside the box.

_"Okay, the knot tightens when I apply pressure."_ She thought. _"Then If I relax, and work carefully, I may be able to get my hands free."_ She brought her wrists close together, and dislocated her left thumb, carefully working her hand free of the restraints. She untied her right hand, and then set to work on her feet. When she had finished, she was unsure of her next task, now she was free, but she had no chakra and no equipment.

Naruto and Itachi moved quickly to the location they were given, they saw what looked like a small complex of buildings, but judging by the number of guards it was a large underground fortress. They were currently hiding at the edge of the clearing, hidden in the forest.

"Naruto, you have a bow right? Make shadow clones and have them fire on the guards."

"We're unsure of how many are underground so we'll have to keep this quiet." Naruto stepped back into the forest, making nearly one hundred clones. He had them fire with their bows first and as the guards were caught off guard by the volume of projectiles they attacked with spear and sword, cutting down the guards that were on the ground level. This of course caught Sasuke's attention, so he sent more guards ahead of him while he went to get his prisoner.

Sakura heard a commotion upstairs, so she readied herself, behind the door she stood, waiting for her escape to come to her. Sasuke walked in, but didn't expect the sink pipe to hit him in the skull, and crumpled. Sakura took his sword, the keys and his other weapons, she also removed all hard objects from the cell, locking him in the chakra sapping cell.

Naruto and Itachi cut down the seemingly countless guards one after another. It was then that they realized that guards were falling from the other side as well. They attacked in the direction of the entrance, hoping to find their ally. When soldiers began retreating they saw who it was fighting.

"SAKURA!" Naruto ran to the Kunoichi who was holding Sasuke's sword. "How did you get Sasuke's Kusanagi?"

"I hit him in the head with a pipe." Sakura grinned. She kissed the man and looked at Itachi. "I thought he was in prison?"

"Well Sasuke wanted me to bring him along, so I did." Naruto ushered her away from the site. "what he didn't know is that Itachi is the best living swordsman that still calls himself a ninja."

They returned to Konoha, going to Tsunade's office.

"I'd like to make Itachi a member of my samurai unit." Naruto stated it like he were asking him to pour a glass of water for him.

"Naruto, we went over this already…"

"Tsunade Shishou he just helped save my life!" Sakura shouted. "And he also killed almost his entire clan for the good of our nation. He also had his massive reserves of chakra cut off, I think that's enough to say he's loyal to us. He could have burned Naruto to death with his black fire, but instead he turned himself in and shared all the information about Akatsuki he had." Sakura's face showed the anger that Naruto was feeling, she'd come to value Itachi as somewhat of a friend.

"If he is to be part of the unit, won't he need some chakra for seals though? And that Tachi no Kasai technique?"

"I want you to allow me to change the seal so he can use one half of his chakra." Naruto stated.

"Naruto, you know I can't do that." Tsunade was slowly realizing she was fighting a losing battle.

"Then I'll do it without your permission. Just say the one simple word, and I'll do it. I could give him back his full capacity, which I think he should have, but you're so fixed on him being a bad person that you want him to be punished." Naruto furrowed his brow. Tsunade placed her hand on her head.

"It's called the legal system Naruto!"

"ITACHI IS NOT A CRIMINAL! HE WAS A DOUBLE AGENT!" Naruto was shouting now, Tsunade knew she should simply let him do what he wished, he would do it anyway.

"Fine, remove the seal, but if he does anything stupid it's on your head." Tsunade waved them off.

"Thank you Tsunade-sama." Itachi bowed, and they left.

As they walked back, Naruto hoped that no one else tried to pay him a visit. When he walked in the gate, he saw a man sitting on his front step, drinking sake from the jug.

"Pretty nice digs you've got here Naruto." Naruto's face brightened up.

"Sensei! When did you get here?"

"Last night, that woman said that you were out getting someone, and you should be back today." He took a drink. "She can really toss 'em back by the way, and have you seen that ra-" He was cut off by the look on Sakura's face.

"It's best not to speak of these things around Sakura, she's not too fond of perverts." Naruto opened the door. "You did realize that there are other tenants right?"

"Yeah, the ones with those strange eyes, the Hyuuga." Mitsurugi then noticed his other companion. "And you have an Uchiha here too! Have you begun collecting Royalty?" Mitsurugi smirked.

"No, it just happened that way, I killed most of the Hyuuga clan, they were corrupt and hateful to the rest of Konoha, and that is something Konoha has too many of." He turned to Itachi. "Itachi is a ninja who did the same to his clan and then left, he returned and turned himself in, and I am going to make him part of the Samurai unit I am creating.

"Samurai? In Konoha?"

"They will act as a police force and do things that ANBU normally do, so we have our ANBU for their special operations." Naruto explained.

"I see, then it seems that Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu will be getting some real recognition." Mitsurugi then frowned. "Where are you getting the recruits?"

"I've got academy students who are from families that have little to no Ninja history. They will be my students."

"I see, you've thought this out well haven't you? Then there is no way I can say no."

"What brings you here anyway sensei?"

"I was coming to see how you were doing, and I've heard that Konoha has some of the best sake around." Mitsurugi held up the jug. "How about we have some drinks to celebrate a successful rescue?" Naruto grinned, he'd been away from his sensei for too long.

"Naruto, your teacher is like a combination of Jiraiya and Tsunade Shishou."

"No other way I'd have it." Naruto quickly brought out Sake dishes, and passed one to each of his housemates. All of the Hyuuga declined, Sakura was nervous, but Itachi and Naruto began to down the drink and the Haruno joined in as well.

The night passed quickly, that was until the owner of his house and his lover kept the other tenants up all night due to their evening activities.

In the morning, Mitsurugi was sitting at the table eating his breakfast when Naruto came in.

"You really know how to please her punk." Mitsurugi grinned. Naruto slapped his hand over his face.

_"Why are all my teachers perverts?!"_ Naruto shouted in his mind.

"Really, she kept us up all night, Itachi and I at least, I don't know about the Hyuuga's, they sleep on the opposite side of the mansion." Naruto's face was red, bright red. "No need to be embarrassed kid, that's a gift very few men have, and for it to come naturally is an even better thing."

"Sensei, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Why are all the men that teach me perverts?"

"Maybe it's because you are one yourself. I heard about that sexy jutsu you used on your first sensei when you were a kid."

"Anyway, there's a reason I've come here boy, other than just to see you. There's been rumors lately. Someone's been capturing people with demons in them, know anything about them?"

"Yeah, Itachi belonged to the group you speak of, he told us all about them. I've killed three, one with the help of Hyuuga Neji, the others on my own."

"You've done the world a great service Naruto." Mitsurugi nodded. "Seems you've had a pretty tight schedule lately."

"I have sensei. I've been very busy lately, and soon I'll be taking on students for the unit."

"Just remember that you could very well be sending these children to their deaths, when war comes, and it will, you'll need to remember that they will fight, and some of them will die." Mitsurugi was more serious now.

"I know sensei, to go into combat is to be prepared for death.(1)"

"Exactly, make sure that all of those kids know that, I won't allow you to send people who are unprepared for death into combat." Mitsurugi stood up. "I've got to go now Naruto, there are matters I must look into before I return home. Write me when you begin teaching those kids." Mitsurugi smiled and left his student to contemplate those things.

-Sasuke's base: The day before-

Sasuke woke up, his head was throbbing.

"Damn, what happened?" He then realized his sword and his weapons were missing. "That bitch!" Sasuke stood up, and looked for something that could be used to get the door open. There was not a single piece of hard material in the cell, Sakura was a smart one.

-Konoha: One week later-

Naruto sat in front of his fifty candidates, all were thoroughly confused.

"Hello class, my name is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, and I would like to tell you that if you stay with me, you will not become Ninja." They all looked at him strangely. "No, you will not become ninja, but something more powerful. You will become Samurai of the highest caliber. You will become Samurai of the Heavenly sword style." He looked at the students. "If you wish to become ninja, you may, there is a class down the hall, and there is still openings." As Naruto said this, five students got up and left, heading for the other classroom. "There are still forty five of you, I'm glad. Now as Samurai you will not go on missions, you stay here and act as the police force. You do this until I call you all to war. Most of you are nine and ten, some are eleven, but that gives us five to six years together. That is good because when I was learning, I learned five years of knowledge in two." The children looked confused still.

"Sensei, why are we learning to be samurai if this is a ninja village?"

"That's a good question, first, I understand that most of you are orphans, those of you who are will be living with me, and in return you will learn, and treat my other housemates with respect." Naruto had all the children rise. "Now you will follow me to my house, that is where we will meet for training." Naruto stood and lead the class out of the academy building and to his house which was just a short distance away.

"Now, there are uniforms here for you, you are to refer to Itachi as sempai, he is your superior student." Naruto showed them all the stack of uniforms, the black hakama and the gray gi. Then he had them line up, there were five rows of eight, Itachi stood in the front row on the right, he'd already begun learning the basics from Naruto at an advanced pace.

"This is how you line up when you come to class. It starts at eight a.m. like the academy classes, the lunch is from noon to one p.m. and you will return here and learn for three more hours." That was similar to the academy schedule but he finished the class an hour earlier. They all nodded and took their uniforms, taking their turns changing in the several rooms in the house, and the smaller quarters that Naruto and Itachi had built earlier to accommodate the students he was taking on.

When they returned, they all stood in the same order they were put in line. Naruto and Itachi stood in front of the class. They had a rack which held several dozen bokken. They began with basic stances, and strikes, allowing the kids time to get a feel for the wooden blades. Naruto grinned at the class, they had an incredible eagerness to learn the way of the warrior.

-Chapter Eight: End-

(1): This is a saying that Miyamoto Musashi taught.

_**Author's Note: This chapter covered a lot, I had planned to wait another chapter before having Itachi released, but I couldn't think of anything to put between seven and nine, so I made it happen now. Sasuke's Kusanagi may be used by Sakura or anyone else, it's just there for now though. This chapter was not planned at all, I just wrote and this is the product. There will be a bit of a time skip but not like the one in Artist or canon, it will just be to allow Naruto the time to train his students.**_


	9. Five Years Later

_I don't own Naruto._

_**Bold is supernatural speech.**_

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, things of that sort._

_**A/N: This story will likely be no more than twenty chapters, unless I get people who simply must have it go on, but even then, I've already shown the end, and it will only be so much longer, I've got other stories I want to write and writing three at a time is already hard enough. **_

-Chapter Nine: Five years later-

Naruto woke at sunrise, the same thing he did every morning, rousing the students that lived with him. Each and every one continued, he'd made sure that none of them had failed. Personally seeing to every student was a difficult task. He didn't use individual gravity seals on them, instead he had placed one on the training grounds, so that anyone who walked into the perimeter would instantly be effected. This effected the students in that they would all be given the same amount of gravity amplification, and the seals fed off the natural energy of the grounds.

This was the morning when his last student would turn fifteen. He changed the method of Genpuku, but it was the same ceremony. His students sat in rank and file, alphabetic order, they sat in seiza, their wooden katana on their left side, the wooden wakizashi was in their belt. Behind them was a staff, no visible marking was on them, it was simply a pole of wood. Their bow also sat with their staff.

Naruto stood in front of his students, Itachi was also sitting in seiza, as he was the sempai of the class he sat behind Naruto, facing the class.

"Today is the day that you all become samurai!" Naruto said in a strong voice. "None of you will fail, and you will all be given the swords that I have forged with these very hands." Naruto held out his hands. He was taught sword smithing when he was with Mitsurugi, by the man who made his swords. "And then you will pledge your sword to the Hokage, you will no longer be my students, but my equals." Naruto looked over his students. "Stand!" They all stood, placing their swords in their belts, and taking up their staves, forty five soon to be samurai were standing at attention.

"Pair off." There were twenty two pairs, and then Itachi paired with the last student. "Your first test will be that of your sword skills. Strike not with your sword, but your soul." They stood in line, each holding their swords, ready to strike.

Naruto watched, each of the wooden blades struck, he determined who attacked, and who _attacked_. Those who passed at first returned to their seiza, those who didn't were paired up and told to go again. This happened until one student remained.

"Sensei, I'll pair up with him." Itachi said, he'd gotten used to calling Naruto his teacher.

"No, I will." Naruto stood in front of the teenage boy. "Strike with your soul, with everything you have." Naruto drew his katana. "Or you will** die**." The boy stood at the ready, his sword in hand. He felt the boys chakra spike as he attacked, this is what he wanted. He blocked the sword, and parried, stopping just short of the boy's neck. "You are strong, but hesitant. Do not hesitate, if one bears his sword against you. Kill him." Naruto sheathed his blade. "Get your bow."

"But sensei-"

"GET THE BOW!" Naruto shouted. The boy nodded and got his bow. "Now shoot me. If you hesitate, you will be killed." Naruto took his spear in his hand, prepared to throw it. The boy stood, looking at his target, who was his teacher.

"_I must do this."_ He remembered all that Naruto had given him, a shelter, the Bushido, everything he was. He drew the string and fired. Naruto caught the arrow.

"Good. Now sit with your classmates." Naruto handed him the arrow.

The next test was the test with the staff. It was believed by the ancient samurai that if a man could use only the last six inches of a staff then he was a master spearman, that was the reason that they were issued staves not spears, to test true mastery.

It was similar to last time, but every student passed this time, Itachi had attained the rank of Samurai two years ago, since he was older and already physically matured he could deal with the stresses of a faster paced training regiment. He tested the person that was always left, the pairings always switched up, so he tested a great number of people.

Finally it was a test of archery. They stood in rows, fifteen long, three deep. Traditional Samurai archery was different than the archery of the ninja and civilian groups. Each student drew his arrow above his head, forward hand coming down first, and then the rear hand following while the arrow was drawn. The first row fired, and moved out of the way, the second row fired, and finally, the third fired.

With fifteen targets standing at a range of twenty meters, there was three arrows in each. Every student had passed their archery test on their first try.

"Good, each of you has passed all three tests I have given you so far. Now for one more. Groups of five!" This was a test that Naruto had never been given, but there was no exact methods of testing. "Now I want one person to step away from each group." This happened quickly, the students had learned to almost read the thoughts of their comrades. "remove your swords from your belt, those of you that stepped away, and hand them to your group." They all stood with just wakizashi. "Now sit in seiza."

"Naruto." Itachi whispered. "What are you doing."

"You'll see." He replied. "Now those in the four man group, attack the person in seiza." Four Samurai trainees attacked one. Many groups had different outcomes, but it went mostly the same.

The sitter, sensing a person behind him rolled forward, as he came up he would draw his wakizashi and 'kill' the first person, taking their katana they would proceed to neutralize all other threats. Some groups would lose two or three, while the fourth would 'kill' the sitter. Others lost all of them, but the fourth would strike as the sitter did, thus killing everyone in the group.

Naruto was proud, they were striking with what would be killing strokes, and they fought until they either died or killed their enemies, just as a true Samurai would.

"I want all of you to know something." He said, sitting with them, they were in a large circle instead of rank and file. "Growing up, I was like almost all of you, I was a ward of state, an orphan. Those of you who have parents, love them with everything you are. My father died the day I was born, as well as my mother, so I've been alone from day one." He started. "Until I met my first sensei."

He continued to tell his story, saying how everyone he loved was someone he would lay down his life for without regret.

"Itachi here is like an older brother to me." He patted Itachi on his back. "He was technically a criminal for eight years." He smiled. "He killed his family because they were plotting against what he loved."

Itachi also smiled. "He fulfilled the meaning of what it means to be a ninja, and even the Samurai. He threw away everything he had for the sake of those he loved. The village" Naruto said.

"I want each and every one of you to live your life knowing that there may be a day where your loved ones will be threatened, and that You have what it will take to protect them. In this way you will all be Hokage, protecting your loved ones, even at the cost of your life."

"Now stand up, back in rank and file, You need to be given your swords." Naruto said.

After nearly half an hour of going back and forth to retrieve the blades he spent nearly two years crafting with Itachi, he called each student up and gave them their Daisho and spear.

Forty five Samurai were standing in front of him, spears fixed to shafts, swords in their belt they all bowed at once.

Over the next three months, the forty five members of the Samurai militia either found their own housing, or stayed with Naruto. Six total stayed, one of which was the boy whom he tested himself, his name was Kazunoko Arima. He was a wiry boy with brown hair, he wore it long and in a ponytail.

The Hyuuga clan had already began to recreate itself. Neji had married Kasumi Tenten two years ago, they'd had two children, twins. Hinata was engaged to Inuzuka Kiba, they were to be married in six months. Itachi was seeing Ichiraku Ayame, they'd been dating for almost two years.

Naruto and Sakura had stayed together, and their relationship had been five years of pure bliss, every morning she would wake up and watch as he trained the students. Currently her and Naruto were sparring, he used a wooden katana, while she chose a Chokuto, for she had started using the Kusanagi. Originally she had planned on letting it remain a simple art piece, sitting about in the house, but something drew her to the blade, and she had requested from Naruto that he teach her kenjutsu.

The blows had obviously been pulled by both, Naruto's Bushi instincts made it difficult, but he managed. Every time he managed to beat her, but her sword strokes looked a little more like those of a master.

"You're thinking about it too much." He said. "It is not just a physical art, you must let your soul be part of it. Strike with everything, but do not think. No mind." Naruto said.

Sakura cleared her mind, focusing only on her blade, the way it sat in her hands, the feel of the air, and then she sensed it, Naruto had swung, she dodged, letting her very spirit guide her movements. Each move was made, Naruto felt her moves, and moved accordingly, and it was the same with her. Finally the wooden blades came to a stop, both came to at the neck of the other.

"Good." It was then that Sakura had realized that Naruto's eyes were closed.

"You can beat me with your eyes closed!" Sakura felt as though she hadn't advanced at all.

"When you learn to move based on your sixth sense, your eyes, ears and physical senses don't matter. Let me show you something even more amazing." He set his sword down. "Attack." Naruto held his hands at his waist level, as if they were resting on a cane. Sakura obliged, knowing she was about to see something amazing.

The blow she was sure would hit struck only air. She felt the hand on her wrist, and tried to counter it, but his other hand had already tightened on her left.

In a flash, her sword was gone, and Naruto had his forearm resting lightly against her throat.

"Whether or not I have a sword, or any weapon in my hands doesn't matter, as long as I know how to move." He handed her the sword. "If you move right, you may never have to strike."

The lessons continued like this for a long while, as they often did. Arima watched, eager to learn anything that could make the combat he may have to face end quicker. Being a kind soul by nature was reinforced by the teachings that Naruto had. Teachings of good intentions and actions, mindfulness and love. He really hated the idea of killing, but at the same time he knew it may be the only way to save whoever he was protecting.

Arima was watching Naruto carefully, recording every movement when he stopped mid swing.

"Arima, I don't believe I have ever told you of the first time I took a life." he asked to be alone with his student. "I killed him with his own sword." He took the jo staff off his wall. "Take this." He handed the bokken to him.

"Sensei, how is it that we learn to act with such precision on instinct?"

"It's simple Arima, we train without thought, we think of only our purpose, which is to complete each movement perfectly. We never think of our enemy, only movement."

"I see, so it's like you said to Sakura. When you put your soul into your movement, your physical being simply follows your soul."

"Exactly. What are you going to fight for when the day comes?" Naruto asked the young Samurai.

"I will fight so that I'll never have to kill." Arima said. "I'll fight so that people don't have to study arts of killing."

"Then you are my most accomplished student already." He smiled. "The others are masters of blade and bow, but you are a master who seeks to create peace, and because of that I'm going to show you the Ougi to this style. Something none of the others know." Naruto had been by his master that he would know which of his students he would pass the mastery technique on to. Arima was the one.

Arima would be seen for a long time on the grounds practicing a technique that none of them knew. Many former students came to the Namikaze asking why he didn't teach them.

"Because you asked me. Arima is seeking only to bring peace. He is the only one worthy of the technique. You seek power, not peace." He would answer.

Very few of them actually just accepted it, five total. Many times they would ask what Arima was doing, and receive the honest answer.

"He's learning the mastery of the style." The ones who had accepted that he had something they didn't simply nodded, and tried to gain some knowledge from it.

Weeks passed and eventually Arima got a handle on the Tachi no Kasai, Naruto returned to his assassinations, while the Samurai simply stayed in the village, policing the land and allowing ANBU to return to their former glory.

Naruto had returned from his last mission, the circumstances were strange, he was acting as a waiting assassin.

_-flashback, a week ago-_

_Naruto had been sent to Snow country to kill an assassin. The suspect was trying to kill a woman who was next in line for the throne. They had no idea of what the man looked like so they simply had Naruto act as a sort of bodyguard whose orders were to kill anyone who might try and kill his client. _

_They were sitting at a tea house, Naruto had of course ordered his own tea when it happened. _

_The seat across her exploded inward, Naruto had jumped in front of her and gotten her out of harms way._

"_So you've gotten Samurai help this time eh? No matter, I've killed plenty of them in my time." The man had long steel claws on his fingers, the backs of his fingers were covered in armor, jointed all the way up to his plate mail gauntlet. _

"_You have never fought one like me." Naruto placed his hand on his sword. In a second he'd drawn, only to have it blocked by the assassin's claws._

"_A fast one you are! This will be more fun!" The man's voice oozed with insanity. Naruto drew his wakizashi in a reverse grip, but the man jumped away. "Sneaky too!" He laughed maniacally. _

_Swinging wildly with his clawed hand, Naruto dodged almost all of the strokes until he hit a wall._

"_Too Slow!" The assassin lunged, Naruto smiled, and as the killer jumped, Naruto held out his blade, impaling the man. But the man pushed on, Naruto took the blade in his left hand, thrusting it through the man's clavicle. The grinning maniac now stood, impaled and dead on the blades. Naruto pushed the corpse off his blades, wiped them clean, and sheathed both. _

_He began cleaning up the wooden splinters, waiters and waitresses looked on in fear._

"_If you could get me a mop, I'll clean up the blood, I apologize for the damages, send the bill to Konoha, I'll pay for them." Naruto said to one waiter, who nodded._

_Returning with a mop and bucket, he began cleaning up the red plasma. The owner came out and saw the man laying there, dead._

"_Please help me take the body out back." He asked Naruto when he finished. Naruto lifted the body up and took it outside. _

"_You used Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu, who are you?" The man asked when they stepped out._

"_I'm simply a Samurai with ties to Konoha." _

"_I've been hearing rumors of a man who was killing people in the name of Konoha, he's said he uses the Tenchi style, but I used to be friends With Tenchi, so I knew that this one wasn't the right man. How is he?"_

"_He's good, I've not seen him in five years, but we keep in touch." Naruto smiled. "Can you give me a description of the man who's claiming to be me?" _

"_I think I can do it well enough." The man drew on his memories. "He was a bit shorter than you, black hair, longer in the front than in back, he wasn't quite as lean as you, much thinner. And he had dark eyes." Naruto's expression darkened. "And he used a Chokuto, that was a dead give away."_

"_Thank you, I've got a good idea of the man now." Naruto instantly knew who was sullying the name of his style. "I've got to go, thank you sir." Naruto bowed and left to get his client._

_-flashback: End-_

Naruto had gone to get authorization to hunt down the Uchiha, he couldn't have the man destroying the reputation of his art.

At home, Sakura seemed to be pondering something, Arima sat next to her.

"What's wrong Sakura-san?" He asked.

"I can't figure out how he does it." She said. "No one should be that fast, it's more than thirty times his top speed, I know it is."

"It's his movement. The way that Mitsurugi no Tenchi Ryu teaches you to move is the secret." He demonstrated this with a question. "Which is more important when an arrow is flying at you, when you move or how you move?"

"Well it's when, obviously- How did I not realize that?!" It hit her like a ton of bricks. "So it's just that he's timing it better than I am, not that he's that much faster than me."

"Yeah, like Tsunade-sama's strength training, if you use them in unison, then you'll seem much faster than you really are." Arima smiled. "the gravity seals simply condition the body so that we're faster than anyone else."

A knock at the gate was heard, they both stood up and went from the bench to the gate.

An ANBU was standing with a letter. It read:

"_Dear Sakura and all my friends in my home,_

_I've gone to hunt someone down, it seems that a certain black haired swordsman has sullied the name of our art, and because of that I must go kill him. It may be anywhere from a week to a month that I'm gone. I'll see you when I do. I love you Sakura, and Arima, please help her keep the other housemates in line._

_Signed,_

_Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto._

Sakura looked at the letter, and instantly knew what was going on.

-??-

Sneaking always came naturally to him, right now he was sneaking down a hallway, sword in hand. It was pitch black in the hallway during the night, he didn't need his eyes though, he had his other senses. His target lay sleeping in his bed, he carefully snuck up and cut the throat of his mark, stabbing his blade through the skull to ensure a death.

Wiping off his blade he made a quick escape, setting fire to the house on his way out, dropping a scroll as he left the grounds, heading for his next kill.

-Chapter Nine: End-

_**Author's Notes: I'm sorry this took so long to complete, but it's been hectic, starting school, changing my work schedule, training with my sensei and friends, and we're doing renovations in my home, so writing has been hard. I hope this chapter at least made the wait a little bit worth it. And I ended it with a cliffhanger because it's going to help me get into the next chapter quicker if I have somewhere to start. I'll update as soon as my schedule allows. Any questions, comments, suggestions, write a comment and I'll try and put your words t****o use.**_


	10. Keep on Moving

_I don't Own Naruto, if I did, things would be very different. _

_**Bold is supernatural speech. **_

_Italics is thoughts, flashbacks, the like._

-Chapter Ten: Keep On Moving-

_-Previous chapter-_

_Sneaking always came naturally to him, right now he was sneaking down a hallway, sword in hand. It was pitch black in the hallway during the night, he didn't need his eyes though, he had his other senses. His target lay sleeping in his bed, he carefully snuck up and cut the throat of his mark, stabbing his blade through the skull to ensure a death._

_Wiping off his blade he made a quick escape, setting fire to the house on his way out, dropping a scroll as he left the grounds, heading for his next kill._

Naruto had long since learned of Mitsurugi's networking abilities, he'd made friends with all the right people, and that was why Naruto was heading in the direction of his last home.

It was a three day long trip by horse which was how he went, not wanting to waste time. He got to the same woods that he'd long ago stumbled across seven years ago. He noticed he couldn't hear animal noises, and panicked, he dismounted the horse hurrying ahead on foot.

Black. Black was all he saw, the trees, ground, even the remains of what was the Domicile of Tenchi Mitsurugi. The scroll sitting in the middle of it all was what discounted it as an accident, that and the fact that Mitsurugi was careful with fire. He walked over and picked up the scroll. Rage burned within him when he saw the Uchiha seal on the outer cover. Removing the cover he opened the scroll.

_Dobe,_

_I'm sure you've seen the chaos that I've caused by now, and I'll let you know that it was a mistake that you came here. I'm headed back to Konoha to lay waste to that pitiful excuse of a ninja village. I'll be bringing ten thousand soldiers and mercenaries. I'll give you a month to prepare for the demise of your village. _

_Uchiha Sasuke._

Naruto wasted no time in returning to his horse and heading toward the village as fast as his horse would allow.

Sasuke was currently sitting in a bar, his new blade leaning against the bar itself. He'd found a sword smith to make him one of similar size and properties of his Kusanagi. A man came in, scanning the room, picking out the Uchiha sitting by himself drinking tea.

Sitting, the man ordered sake.

"So are you the one who's been looking for mercs?" The man was large, tan and wore all black. His head was shaven and he had dark brown eyes. Two daggers were tucked into his belt.

"If I am, how will you prove you're strong enough for my job?" The man grinned insanely. When he tried to grab Sasuke, the Uchiha reversed the grab, took one of the daggers out of the Merc's belt and held it close to his throat.

"Go ahead and do it, you'll bleed just like me." Sasuke then felt the other dagger's point in his back.

"Fine, round up any of your friends and go to the village hidden in the Sound, be there in two weeks." Sasuke had left Kabuto in charge, he'd decided to allow the strange medic to keep the village together.

Sasuke had done this already many times in many villages. He even went to the Mist village and rounded up the remaining Shinobi Swordsman of the Mist.

Naruto reached Konoha after two and a half days of quick riding, he immediately went to Tsunade with the scroll. Reading over the parchment, Tsunade looked up at Naruto grimly.

"Prepare your Samurai, I'll recall all ANBU, How much armor do you have available for them?" Tsunade asked.

"I've got only five sets other than mine, We'll need forty more." Naruto had planned on giving armor to the few students that had stayed with him.

"Then some will have to use captured armor from conflicts with Samurai and Mercenaries. We have about twenty sets total for availability. I can talk to all the smiths here in town and have them make armor for them."

"Alright, I'll round them up and tell them what's coming." Tsunade nodded.

In a short hour, every single member of Naruto's Samurai clan was gathered in rows in his yard. Itachi was sitting with them.

"I have some bad news for all of you." He looked over the faces of every single one. "Uchiha Sasuke is gathering a force of ten thousand soldiers and mercenaries. Ronin are likely to be involved. We'll be on the front lines of the battle." Naruto looked at Itachi, Arima, and several others. "Some of you will die then. I want all of you to come here each morning so we can train in battlefield tactics. Bring all your training weapons." They all stood. "You're dismissed." Naruto bowed to them. Itachi approached Naruto.

"Sasuke's really attacking. I'd worried he would, but not with such numbers."

"That's almost five to one. He's not messing around Itachi. We need to train them well."

"When I was ANBU they taught us Guerilla tactics for use on the battlefield. I'll teach them to everyone here. We'll need it, Samurai or not."

"That would help. And a Samurai will use ambush and Guerilla tactics but it's not common since most belong to large clans." Naruto informed him. They went inside and began discussing tactics on paper. Sakura was there as well, she was considered a Sempai to the other Samurai and as such was included in matters.

The next few weeks were spent preparing the village for war. The battle formations and unit placements were all discussed. Armor was distributed among the Samurai, they spent every morning training in multiple combat. One of the lessons was in movement.

"Remember, as you cut down your first target, take no time to rest, you must move on and kill the next." Naruto demonstrated by mocking a slash with his bokken, and immediately moving to attack again. "Never linger over the kill. On the battlefield our purpose is to kill the enemy, we're not going to spare the enemy." The Samurai split up and they had mock battles with the bokken, and staff. "You protect your comrades at the cost of even your life, but this doesn't mean carelessly throwing it away, life is precious and if you can save yours and theirs, do it." Everyone watched and listened with an attentiveness that not even priests would give to the deities they worshipped.

While Itachi taught the infantry forces his Guerrilla tactics, Naruto had separated with the archers, which were the ones who excelled in the art during training.

"Do not center your fire on anyone, simply knock your arrows and fire at the advancing force." Naruto demonstrated what he meant by taking his arrow and standing facing away from the opening where he would create an advancing force with Bunshin. He turned and fired at almost perfectly one hundred and eighty degrees behind him. "Unless you see someone in the crowd who is more dangerous than the others, or have an eye on enemy archers, you will not fire on any specific target." He made fifty clones and had the ten archers fire on them. "In combat you will have the village's archers to help you." He then went on to say. "We may have you hide in the forest around the village and employ hit and run tactics." The thought of archers popping from trees and bushes, shooting the enemy and then disappearing into the vegetation again would be murder on the enemy forces morale.

Itachi stood in front of the forces, unsure of how to teach these tactics.

_It'll be just like when you were teaching Sasuke. _Itachi thought to himself, and then chuckled_ He may very well be using the tactics I taught him._

"Alright, I want you guys to advance through the woods back here, and I'll show you how to ambush a superior force and escape." He then ran into the woods to set up his ambush.

Arima was the natural leader of the pack, he simply possessed the air of leadership when in his combat mode. He lead the Samurai carefully into the woods, bokken and staves at the ready, suddenly one of the men who brought up the rear stifled a muffled scream. Everyone turned to see him on the ground, red ink drawn across his throat from Itachi's fake knife. Then someone noticed the paint grenade stuck in his gi. When it went off the paint splattered on several others, and two more in the front were smeared with red paint, many other paint bombs were scattered about.

Itachi emerged, his plastic knife in hand.

"The key to that tactic is to wait until the last person walks by, because he or she will likely be the least alert. You cut their throat, place an explosive tag on them and push them into the leading troops and vanish off the path. When that happens, your comrades who are farther up attack while attention is drawn in your direction." He smiled. "You then retreat, moving ahead and setting traps." He put away his knife. "Your goal is not to remove the whole force, but to scare and demoralize them, all the while chiseling away at their numbers." Itachi stepped back from the samurai. "Guerrilla tactics are designed to even the odds, and advancing force needs to outnumber the defending force by at least three to one. We have a disadvantage however… My brother is a native of Konoha, he knows the terrain around here well. Yes?" Itachi called on the samurai who had raised his hand.

"Uchiha Sasuke, what is he like?"

"He's a traitor, this is true, but it's my fault, I'd never expected he'd betray the village to try and gain the power to kill me. He will go to whatever lengths necessary to win, and he is very powerful." Many of the listeners swallowed their fear.

"What do you know of his tactics?" Another asked.

"Most of what he knows is learned from here, before we had you guys. I know of his tactics, but he most likely doesn't know of what I am teaching you guys, these are taught only to ANBU."

"Then we have nothing to fear?"

"You do have something to fear. Let me tell you a story of the village hidden in the mist. It goes like this…"

_-unknown time, Kirigakure no Sato-_

_The city was in chaos, someone had gone on a killing spree, dozens of men were dead, and it had appeared that the kills were coming from a single man using the tactics of the village's ANBU squad. No matter what they did, the killer or killers hid themselves too well and were too precise with their blows, he or they dispatched ninja in almost exactly to the letter by the book ambush tactics. It wasn't until several weeks later that it was realized that Momochi Zabuza had decided he didn't want to be part of the village anymore and wanted to kill as many people as he felt before he made his exit._

"And so you see even people who are acting with only tactics used by their native village, they're designed to be used against formations that will likely be used by that village because that's how they learned them."

"So what do we do to prevent that from happening?"

"Everyone of you be as alert as possible, the rear, the front, the middle, all of you. The enemy will probably be hit by the archers who will probably go first, ambushing from long range first."

"How do you know?"

"Because that's Naruto's style, he'll hit as many times as possible with whatever weapons he has until it's over." Itachi smiled. "Now break up into fours, you'll all try this one group at a time. Mix it up though, I don't want to see exactly the same thing twice."

Training had finished, Naruto lay staring at the night sky, relaxed as could be, almost in a sleep like state. Suddenly something snapped him back into reality, he sat up, taking his swords and making his way towards the direction that his instinct told him to.

It was dark, the moon didn't illuminate the night like it did on a normal night. A lone figure moved, never being detected among the nest of enemies. Tags were placed at a specific interval along the wall, the explosive power of the tags were modified to be extra powerful. Several other places were getting the same treatment, suddenly a noise was heard, the figure placed it's last tag and made their escape.

Naruto saw the person move, and with a draw of his sword slashed the saboteur in half with his Tachi no Kasai. He then went about searching the building and removed the explosive tags.

Explosives rocked the ANBU headquarters, parts of the prison, weapons caches, and the Hokage tower. Silently in the night many enemy agents and ninja prisoners escaped.

Sasuke sat not far from the walls of his former home, his best spies were used to attack the enemy, and release prisoners. When the ninja returned, he smirked.

"Good job, now, we attack in a week. Take them unaware and we'll be victorious." Sasuke had managed only a fraction of his original quota of forces, about four thousand mercenaries, samurai and ninja.

The next day the village was a chaos, prisoners attacked civilians, ninja, and even tried an attack on Naruto's compound. The attack on the home was a failure, while they outnumbered Naruto's housemates, the Namikaze had the gift of his shadow clones. All of the Samurai were dispatched to assist with the chaos that was ravaging the rest of the village.

By the end of the day, all the prisoners were either dead, or once again back in the prison. Patrols had returned with some grim news, they'd spotted the enemy only twenty kilometers away.

-Chapter Ten: End-

_**Author's Note: I apologize for the wait, I've been very busy, and at one time I was hospitalized in the recent past, so It's been hard to update, but I promise that I'll have all three of my stories updated b****y the end of the month. **_


	11. The Battle: Part One

Own Naruto I do not.

**Bold is Supernatural speech.**

_Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, the like._

-Chapter Eleven: The Battle: Part One-

Naruto sat with Tsunade, he'd just been handed the report that stated Sasuke's army was seen twenty kilometers away. The document stated that the army seemed to be comprised mostly of the remaining sound ninja, and mercenaries. The numbers seemed to be only four thousand, which was much better than the original claim of ten thousand. It was still quite a few enemies, Konoha itself had an army of twenty five hundred. It would likely not be an impossible battle, but it would still be combat, which was never easy. The civilians and gennin (they didn't fight in war.) were taken to the shelters. Samurai and ninja gathered their supplies, the Archers had already been sent out on their ambush missions. The ANBU and Samurai were sent behind them.

Overall the numbers were only dwindled by about one hundred, but that was one hundred less people to trouble them later on. Currently Naruto sat waiting for the ambush squadron to return. When they did, the cavalry would attack, followed by the infantry.

The Ambush returned, and they joined with the infantry lines while the cavalry went out led by Naruto. Very few ninja in Konoha were trained to fight from horse back, but with Naruto and his shadow clones, the numbers were very deceptive. Sasuke had his own cavalry forces ready. Naruto's spears and arrows swept them aside, losing only a few clones in the process. When the number of clones dwindled to only a few, Naruto and the living numbers of the force retreated. They returned to the village, readying themselves for war. Naruto stood in his red armor, spear in hand.

"This, my fellow warriors, is the second time a ninja who was once a member of our forces has tried to attack us, we WILL defend our village." Naruto was speaking in front of every ninja and samurai that had prepared themselves for war. "I want everyone of you to know that I'd much rather be here than anywhere else. You are my family, and I'll die protecting you if it comes to that." Naruto paused. Tsunade came up, standing next to Naruto.

"I want you all to know, I'll be naming Naruto my successor when this battle is over."

"Tsunade, I can't, I'm not a ninja anymore."

"I don't care, you're the only one who's worthy at the time."

"Tsunade, you need a ninja for the job." Naruto looked at the soldiers. They all looked proudly upon him, many shouting their opinions.

"You should accept the title Naruto!" Many said. Then one turned to the crowd and said to the rest.

"Let's give a cheer for the Sixth Hokage! Uzumaki Naruto!" And they all began cheering.

"Looks like the people have decided. They want you for the job." Naruto shook his head. Tsunade frowned. "Anyhow, you have an army to lead." Tsunade stepped away from the podium.

"Fight Hard, protect each other, and may each of you return alive." Naruto shouted, and all of them shared a battle cry. Naruto led the lines, flanked on either side by Sakura and Itachi. The Samurai were all in the front lines, followed by the ANBU, approximately two hundred ANBU existed in Konoha. The Special Jounin and Jounin were behind that, there was about eight hundred Jounin in total. Then followed the Chuunin, they made up most of the ranks, one thousand, two hundred total made up the rear lines. The plan was to meet the threat head on, spread the lines out, opening up the enemy formation and allowing the rest of the defending army into the heart of the mercenary army. When the armies met in the fields that surrounded Konoha about five miles away, Sasuke came to the front of the line, and Naruto stood there, clad in armor. Sasuke wore armor as well, but his was of a lighter variety, he wore a chest plate, arm guards and shin guards.

"Hello dobe, the hag has made you her general has she?"

"She has. Seems you couldn't meet your quota." Naruto shot back.

"No matter, we'll crush you regardless." Suddenly he looked to the left. "Hello brother. I see you've returned to a position in Konoha, but not one I'd expect." He looked upon the black polished armor that the other Uchiha wore. "I'll let you have your fun with these mercenaries, but I will kill you both." He turned and walked back through his army. The soldiers of Konoha stood like a forest of colors and steel.

"Remember what we discussed!" Naruto said, sliding his face protector up. "Sakura, be careful. Itachi, don't die either." Naruto said, and with a single shout, the armies advance, meeting in the middle in a mass of blades, armor and flesh. Naruto's spear pierces flesh, keeping all enemies at a desirable range as he ends the lives one by one.

Sakura's liberated Kusanagi shears through the armor of enemies like it were but paper, dodging any attempts to attack her expertly. With learned and natural grace she committed the act of war on her enemy.

Itachi was unused to armor, but to him it didn't matter, he attacked his enemies with his sword, he didn't bring his spear, favoring the closeness of a sword. Suddenly from his left he heard Naruto shout "Spread Out!" And all ranks broke, creating a chasm in the center of the enemy line as well as their own, both of which were quickly filled, this happened until the lines were spread very thin. The fighting was brutal and many died.

Many ninja like Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji, Akimichi Chouji, And many others that Naruto knew personally fought as hard as possible, and the casualties to the defending side were in terms of overview minimal.

Now, as Sasuke and his army of mercenaries retreated, they constantly watched their back, for they had been subject to many ambushed on the way in. Casualties numbered in two hundred for Konoha, while Sasuke's forces lost three times that.

Naruto sat atop the wall around the city, thinking to himself.

_Should I take the position? The people want me to, but the vow I made to Tenchi sensei. I can't operate as a ninja, being Hokage is to be the strongest ninja in the village._

Naruto sat, left to his thoughts for many hours, some men were sent to collect the bodies before they sent an emissary to the enemy to allow them the same action. They didn't however expect the emissary to be killed and returned to the village in three separate pieces.

Naruto stood, enraged at the act. He called Itachi over.

"Itachi, can I trust you to retaliate with a covert op?" Naruto asked his good friend.

"Yes, what should I do?" Itachi, while a member of the samurai force was also a ninja. "Give me an hour, and I can be ready for anything."

"Take seven of our best ANBU and just fuck up everything you can." Naruto said. Itachi smirked at Naruto's choice of words, bowed and left.

He'd decided to take Kakashi, Neji, Lee, who despite everyone's common conception was a very stealthy person when the situation required. And since Gai's passing he'd done away with the green suit, favoring his ANBU attire. The other four were ANBU whom had volunteered for the action.

Currently, Kakashi and Itachi were on sentry removal. The two Sound ninja who were standing at the opening to the massive clearing, the funeral pyres had already burned, and the stench of death and burned flesh and hair lingered heavily. They saw two ninja standing, conversing among each other, it was rather dark around them, and they were the perfect targets for the first strike. Kakashi snuck with trained stealth, Itachi mirroring his own movements, they clapped their hands over the mouths of their targets and with a quick pull of a knife, ended the lives of the two. Each of the four groups had done the same to the other sentries.

The next part of the plan, to quote Naruto was to fuck stuff up. Itachi found a cluster of tents with soldiers inside. He unleashed fire jutsu on them, burning the tenants. Kakashi also burned tents, each of the eight ANBU attacked the sleeping enemy with their jutsu and explosive tags. And they quickly retreated back into the forest, straight to the village to give the reports and sleep before the morning and lines of soldiers came.

Sasuke sat in front of the man giving the report on what had happened.

"We estimate eighty dead sir. Those ninja really did a number on our morale as well." The sound ninja was knelt in front of Sasuke when he heard the shuffling of sandals. A foot coming down on the back of his head and digging his teeth into the dirt was what the man felt next.

"I don't give a shit about morale! I want that village burned to the ground. It's our turn to mount an invasion. I want our ninja to spread all around the village, sneak through the forest, and all that can use fire jutsu are to do so. Place explosive tags on the wall too! Spread the word!" Sasuke's voice was harsh. The man stood up, bowed and slinked away to spread the word.

_Just what is it that you think you can accomplish Naruto?_ Sasuke thought to himself.

To see a whole army sneaking through a forest in utter silence, they left no trace except to the animals, it was amazing, though no one actually saw it, it would be told of in Konoha's history. All at once, and virtually unnoticed, the entire army set about destroying the wall, many used fire jutsu, others used explosive tags, and some still used regular explosives.

Inside the city, ninja rushed to quench the fires, only to be slain by the invading warriors. More still came through the holes created by explosives while anyone who could react did.

Sasuke sat in his tent, he'd not joined the invasion force just yet, he'd been waiting, he had a special surprise. Flashing through hand seals, he used a jutsu he'd never before used.

"Summoning Arts: Manda!" With that a monstrous snake appeared from other worlds. "Manda, we're invading Konoha, you can have your pick from anyone who sates your taste." Manda was infamous for requiring sacrifices to be summoned.

"**Yessss." **Sasuke jumped atop the massive serpent's lowered head, the snake made it's advance towards the city.

"Sir! A giant serpent has just been spotted outside the village!" An ANBU had just approached him, mid combat and informed him. He slashed a man's throat clean and turned to the ANBU.

"Can you and your men handle things here?"

"Yes sir!"

"Then I'll go handle the snake." He began doing his own hand seals. "Summoning Arts: Kyuubi!" Naruto had never summoned the giant fox, but he had the knowledge to. "I hope you like snake, fox."

"**My favorite."** The fox licked his chops and bounded off in the direction of the snake, guided by scent.

When the massive paws slammed down for the last time, the snake's dark scales seemed to pale.

"**Hello Manda, I've been told I'm going to have some lunch."** The Kyuubi licked it's chops again. **"Snake has always been my favorite."** It lunged at the snake, it's monstrous ivory fangs brushing against the snake's scaly hide, but it managed to snake it's way out of the situation, pardon the pun.

The massive animals clashed, the snake, while larger, lacked the sheer power of the demon fox, and as such, fell victim to the Kyuubi. Sasuke now stood, bore down upon by the massive fox and his former teammate.

With an outreached hand, he used the Uchiha's power to control the Nine Tails to vanquish the demon back to it's prison. Currently Naruto and Sasuke stood, facing each other.

"So Sasuke, is this where it will end?" Naruto asked, his voice barely containing the rage it held. "Or will you retreat once again?"

"You wish, I'll not be retreating, it'll be you." It was then that he sensed the two hundred soldiers that were charging his way. He turned, dashing straight into the crowd, making clones as he went, he slashed them apart.

"Another time then, I want your entire army to see it when your life is ended." Naruto saw the fear in Sasuke's eyes. Naruto had killed two hundred men in an instant. He then calmly walked away. "Kyuubi, I want your help, I'm going to walk back into the village, I want your chakra to help me."

"**Done, you gave me a snack, it's the least I could do." **Kyuubi then allowed his chakra to be taken. Naruto, enshrouded in the demonic energy approached the hordes of mercenaries and ninja.

The invaders fought their way into the village, destroying whatever they could.

"What the hell is that?!" One shouted, pointing at the mass of red flame like chakra. Then it vanished, appearing right in front of a group of mercenaries, slashing them all to bits, and moving on to find more victims. The red armor was only accented by the red chakra. Mercenaries ran from the demon bearing samurai.

Sasuke was sitting, thrashing about in anger when he noticed someone.

"I hear you're attacking Konoha?" The man asked.

"Yeah, but what is one merc going to do?"

"No, not one, one thousand. I've got one thousand mercenaries waiting a few miles off."

"Name your price."

"No cost, I just want to kill Konoha ninja."

-Chapter Eleven: End-

_**Author's Note: There's not much left of this story. I'm going to make a part two to this battle, and then there will be an epilogue chapter. There's not much more I can add to this story, plus I've got this new one I want to write, but updating four stories somewhat consistently would be far more difficult. So to all that read only this story of mine, I hope you'll start reading my others, especially the one I'll be starting soon, it'll be totally different than the rest of them, but I guess it'll be somewhat similar to Artist of the Blade, only in some aspects. **_


	12. The Battle: Part Two

I don't Own Naruto.

**Bold is Supernatural speech.**

_Italics are Thoughts, flashbacks, all that._

_**A/N: This will be the last official chapter of this story, there will be an epilogue at some point, I may write it soon, I may wait a while, but the war will end here, and the beginning will be in it's chronologically proper spot.**_

-Chapter Twelve: The Battle: Part Two-

The second day of combat saw far more casualties than the previous day. Yamato had been assigned to fix the holes in the wall, his special affinity for manipulating nature made him the best person for the job. It took him a while, but he got the major ones, the parts that couldn't easily be guarded, the holes that would allow massive numbers through.

Currently, the man that was regarded now as the Hokage was meditating. He'd so much to think about, and not much time to do it. Four of his samurai had died in the battle today, one yesterday, all five of them were given burials on his grounds, Naruto had personally dug the graves, and while they were now only marked with wooden crosses, he had promised to give them proper markers when the fighting was over.

Sitting there in the room he'd designated for meditation, he had a vision.

_A dragon was flying towards a fox, the fox was alone, the dragon appeared to be, but hiding in it's shadow was another dragon. The fox attacked, taking a nearly fatal wound, killing both dragons, but suffering for it. The fox then laid down, waiting for death to come._

Naruto's eyes opened, he stood up and walked outside. It was late, but not entirely too late, maybe two in the morning. He'd decided to walk a little.

Kakashi sat with Itachi, they hadn't had much of a chance to catch up since Itachi returned, he'd been with Naruto so much, and Kakashi in the ANBU.

"So have you resumed your position as captain?" Itachi asked, taking a drink of the tea that sat in front of him.

"Yeah, Yamato retired as captain a while ago, and they needed someone for the job. I decided that I might as well volunteer, I've already done it once, why not?" Kakashi had tea as well, but hadn't yet taken a drink.

"I never really liked the job."

"You were thirteen when you took the job."

"You weren't much older."

"But I was better prepared, I'd already seen a lot of combat by that time, so paper work and all that was no problem. I remember when you when you first applied for ANBU, no one really took you seriously, being only thirteen, you didn't look like much. You couldn't even use a sword when we decided to test you." Being eight years older than Itachi, Kakashi had been the standing captain when Itachi decided to apply for ANBU. The cyclopean man then retired to regular Jounin duties only two years later with a total of nine years of special operations duty under his belt.

"That wasn't totally true, I could use it, but not with any more finesse than a civilian." Itachi had truly been bad with a sword before he'd undergone the one and a half years of ANBU stealth and tactics training. When he came back he was a totally different person. He'd been the perfect ANBU agent. Itachi had come out of the ANBU training skilled in all common weapons of shinobi, well versed in almost all jutsu that he could do, he could cover his tracks so well that anyone trying to track him would fail to do so, if they even noticed that there were any tracks there in the first place.

Kakashi had seen that the teen was incredibly skilled, and as soon as he had proven himself, relinquished his position to the ninja. They had kept in contact for a while, that is until he was fifteen, the Uchiha massacre had taken place, and Uchiha Itachi left the village.

Kakashi was a different story entirely. He had been a natural with any edged object from the start. His prized sword the White Fang had been broken on his first mission as a Jounin, and he had it replaced with an ANBU issue blade, he had joined the special unit shortly after that mission, it was required at least five B-class or above missions as a Jounin before you were considered clear to apply. When Kakashi had joined, they had him in the training for only nine months rather than the entire eighteen. Finally when he had taken his mask, he teamed up with very few people, preferring solo missions. Minato had taken office while Kakashi was in training, and as such, the young ninja was surprised to see his teacher walking up to make the graduation speech. When Minato had fallen, Kakashi had been bitter for a while, but continued his duties to ANBU, some said that he did them better than before, others said that he seemed the same, and he was subject to many rumors over the course of his years in ANBU.

Naruto had settled on sitting atop the mountain which bore the faces of the former and current Hokage. He sat on the head of his late father, a place he'd spent a great deal of time up here when he was younger.

"What should I do?" He'd spent much time asking himself that question, and he still hadn't found the answer.

"I think you should take the job, you've been wanting it since we were kids, and I can tell you still want it now." Sakura's voice came from behind him. She came to sit next to him.

"Sakura, I promised him I'd never work as a ninja again."

"You won't be working as a ninja. Did the original Japanese Samurai that gave ninjas their missions act as ninja?"

"That's different." Naruto said. "They weren't living in a village surrounded by ninja who wanted them to be a leader against their master's wishes." Naruto looked at the woman sitting next to him.

"His wish was for you to uphold the samurai way, maybe you should bring that old style of leadership back." She took his hand in her own, kissing him. "I'm going back to the house, I'll see you there." she stood up and began to walk back home.

Naruto was once again left to his thoughts, contemplating once again the many things he had to contemplate. His mind began to wander to the vision that had come to him. _The dragon that had another hidden in it's shadow._ It obviously meant a hidden enemy, but where? Who was the first enemy, was this vision of a soon to come event, or of something long off? _The fox, it's obviously me. Does this mean I'll be killed by whatever enemy the dragons represent?_ Naruto was not fond of the idea of dying, but he would face his death with dignity, not lay down like a wounded animal and let death take him quietly. _So the death of the fox must mean something else, like maybe it will be a revision of character. _Naruto sat wracking his brain for the answers. He decided that he should also go home, that the answers would come in time. He stood up, looking at the village below him. _They really want me now._ And for a moment, tears slid down his face.

When he arrived at his home, he'd found that Itachi was not home, and that many of his former students were gone as well. He shrugged and went to his bedroom, stopped outside the door, and favored the bathroom, the bath calling to him. He had himself a soak in the bath before bed, wishing that like the day's dirt and grime, his thoughts could be washed off like the sweat of fighting a war. Sure his thoughts had been temporarily pushed aside, but they were not solved. When he tied on his yukata to go to bed, he found that sleep came well to him that night.

Waking the next morning he prepared for battle. First he put on his white gi, then put his black one over it, then tied on his hakama. He put his boots on, the pleated pants fit into them. Next he went to meditate, clearing his mind for battle. Then he dawned his armor, that shining red armor that was still polished like the day he'd received it. His sword and tanto were tucked into his belt, he picked up his spear, and went out to meet his army.

He made his way through the streets, eerily empty streets, with the civilians in the shelters still, the population was not much smaller than before, but the streets were absolutely empty. When he arrived at the place where the army would meet before marching, he realized why. There before him was his entire army, all arranged in rank and file, ninja and samurai alike all stood, waiting for him.

"This is unexpected, but also good. I hope you all slept well, today we're going to annihilate the Uchiha's army!" Naruto held up his spear, causing the army to erupt in cheers. Smaller units were to be placed at strategic points through out the village, close enough to each other that they could assist each other, but far enough apart that they could defend the entire city. First, the scouts were to be sent out.

The scouts that had been sent out returned a short period later.

"Sir, the enemy army appears larger than before. We estimate another one thousand soldiers." Suddenly the vision made sense.

"Thank you." He turned around, facing his soldiers. "We seem to have hit a snag. We'll be fighting a force that is one thousand stronger than before. No matter, we still overpower the forces. It'll take at least a three to one ratio to destroy us all." Currently it was not far off, it was a two to one ratio, but Naruto was planning on doing what he'd done yesterday, and using some of the Nine Tails' chakra to assist him in the defense. He was standing at the gate, the one that the scouts returned from, this was the gate that the majority of the soldiers would come through.

Sasuke had now learned of Naruto's power, and as such, he was planning a careful assault. It would be difficult, since they were trying to siege a city that was prepared for it. He decided that invading the city would be hard, but above the city, on the mountain, the wall would likely be less guarded than below. He'd had a division of his troops, about five hundred of them make their way to that side. The remainder of the troops, about four thousand marched straight on, straight to the north end of the village.

Naruto saw the army from atop the wall, he turned around.

"Here they come!" He shouted down to the soldiers that were around him. He waited for them to be within fifty yards of the wall before having the ambush squad outside the wall to attack. They assaulted the army with fire jutsu as well as earth jutsu, the two that would disrupt the ranks the most. The initial assault killed only about fifty men, but the chaos caused by it allowed the archers, and the three dozen clones that Naruto made to fire on the army with explosive arrows. The archers fired as much as they could before the advancing enemy got too close to the wall, then turned on the rear of the ranks, killing off the rear soldiers was not to slow the numbers, but rather to dwindle them down.

When the enemy broke through the gate, the Konoha soldiers that were waiting for the enemies that would be at a bottleneck in entering began attacking them, felling the enemies as they made their entrance. Naruto left his clones to shoot, and dropped down with his spear in hand, landing right in the middle of the enemies, he began attacking them. Both the blade of the spear and the pointed butt cap felled enemies, crushing skulls, impaling a number of people, or just having the shaft smashed against their windpipe.

Naruto turned, his spear trailing him, and lashed out with a variation of the Tachi no Kasai. The massive wave of energy continued through enemies until it dissipated.

The Konoha forces watched as the samurai general made corpses out of dozens of the enemy. Those that had tried to gain entry from that way were slaughtered by the man. Those outside decided to try to make it to another gate.

Kakashi, and Itachi, along with a large detachment of the ANBU forces were posted at the Southern gate, as well as many other Jounin. During the Second Great Shinobi war, a group of ninja had gained access to the village by destroying a large section of this wall, and came storming down the mountain into the village. That was why Naruto had decided to have the two people he trusted most in the forces to guard that wall, because Sasuke knew of the breech, and as such, would try and use it to his advantage.

Hyuuga Neji saw the advancing enemies at the West gate, and the men he was leading were ready to fight them off. Rock Lee was standing, wearing a more traditional looking outfit of a green gi and black martial arts pants, his hair was being worn shorter, no longer did he wish to be a clone of his former teacher, instead he chose his own path, and as such was now a changed man. On his hands were plated gauntlets, the overlapping metal plates extended all the way to his elbows, they also came down over the knuckles, allowing his punches to be reinforced with studded metal plates. He'd chosen to accompany his friend in guarding the western gate.

Currently, about one third of the army had been charging this way, the rest that had not been killed by Naruto were headed east. Naruto had decided to follow the army east, leaving Arima and Sakura to guard that gate. As he headed that way, he asked the Nine tails for chakra, allowing the red shroud to veil him. The First thing he saw was the Konoha ninja already fighting, and they were outnumbered, Naruto increased his speed, and jumped the entire detachment of Konoha ninja. His spear pointed downward in front of him, he landed on an enemy ninja, the spear skewering the man, the spear had lodged itself firmly into the ground. Naruto, not caring to draw his swords in the tight space turned to hand to hand combat, his gauntlet smashing through a man's face. He took this opportunity to draw his sword.

The Konoha ninja took this opportunity to turn the tides. While all attention was turned on the man that seemed to fall from the sky enshrouded in red chakra, the Konoha ninja attacked, striking down dozens of the mercenary force. Naruto felt lighter suddenly, the parting of the enemies allowed him time to look down and see that his armor was no longer on him. There he stood in his usual dress, leather kote, and boots. The shroud of red chakra had also vanished, but he could feel the demon chakra still in his body, he had found his spear still in his hand, and now was brandishing his spear with literally frightening skill, felling enemy ninja left, right, up, down, and at various other angles. He faded in and out of the vision of ninja on both sides, disappearing just long enough for everyone to wonder where he'd strike next. Sasuke stepped into the clearing, he smirked, blood running off his dark blue armor

"So Dobe, it seems that you've got some skill. Unfortunately it was you I choose to kill." Sasuke drew his sword, challenging Naruto. Naruto stood from his battle stance, tossing the spear up and then jamming it's blade into the ground. He took his katana, The Uzumaki stood, ready for any attack, Sasuke vanished, coming down on Naruto who simply snatched the blade out of the air, breaking it in half between his fingers.

"**Don't toy with me Sasuke. I've had enough of your mocking me, I could have killed you at anytime, but now I'm fed up, so take your death like a true ninja." **Naruto threw his former teammate back with a blast of pure chakra, and then dashed forward, cutting the tendons of Sasuke's legs, while Sasuke tried to stand, Naruto went to where his spear was, plucked it from the ground, turned and threw it, spearing the Uchiha's head to the ground. He then pulled the spear out. **"All you had to do was come home, and all of it could be avoided." **Naruto turned to the crowd of scared ninja.** "Any who don't wish to share a similar fate will turn and run." **The Uzumaki said quietly as he wiped the blood from his spear on a nearby man's cloak. All enemy ninja turned tail and ran. Naruto looked at his remaining forces, all cheering, Haruno Sakura came from the numbers and ran to him, the years had been very kind to this beautiful Kunoichi. Naruto embraced her and held her, feeling the blood on her clothes.

"You've done it, you've defeated him. No more worries." Sakura said.

"**I know, but remember that I can't become Hokage, my vow."** Sakura looked up at him. Seeing the signs of the demon chakra in his face.

"You won't be coming back as a ninja, you'll be the samurai leader of a ninja army, just like you are now." Naruto then realized that he was indeed acting as a Hokage, he was right now, leading the ninja into battle as their leader. For the past few days, he'd been acting as Hokage, minus the paperwork.

"**So I have. Fine, I'll take the position, I understand now." **The last comment was made to himself.

"And by the way Naruto, Happy birthday." She placed a kiss on his lips. Naruto felt the demonic energy fade, as did his ability to stay conscious.

When he woke up, he realized that he was in the hospital.

"This is where it all started." He stood up, realizing that he was naked, he found his clothes. "I wonder where my armor disappeared off to?" He remembered that he was not wearing it when he had killed Sasuke.

Sakura walked in to see him finishing dressing. "Well, I see you're finally awake."

"How long has it been?"

"About a week. You literally had no chakra left, it was because of the fox that you're even alive, he sustained you until your chakra began returning. We got the village cleaned up, it seems that Kakashi and Itachi had their hands full while up at the southern entrance. It's a good thing you put them up there." She handed him his katana and wakizashi. "I've never realized how beautiful those swords are." The red handles, the golden colored blades, and the image of the nine tails on the hilt, they were truly masterpieces.

"No one will ever have a pair of swords like these." Naruto said, remembering the first time he'd laid eyes on them. "I suppose I've got some sort of duties as a Hokage now."

"No, your official inauguration into office isn't for a week. We've got to celebrate your birthday party."

"Ah, right, let me have some time to myself, I'll meet you back at the house."

"Alright, I'm on hospital duty right now, I'll be at the house in a few hours." He kissed her goodbye and then went to do what he'd needed.

At the stonemason's shop, he had requested the grave markers for his fallen men, and gave the address to have them delivered to. Many people, civilian and ninja, came up to him, bowed to him and thanked him. One time, a woman came to him.

"Lord Uzumaki, I have to apologize."

"What for friend?"

"My brother, Urashima attacked you a few years ago, I've come to apologize for him."

"Ma'am, he was doing what he believed to be the right thing. Have you made a marker for him here? He's buried in Yokusho where I killed him."

"We can't afford it, he was our main source of income, now it's just me, working at a shop." Naruto reached into his gi, removing a wad of bills.

"Here, buy him a nice grave marker."

"Thank you sir." She bowed low.

Naruto then proceeded to do what he had left to do. After that he returned to his house to find all of his friends and students had come to his mansion. Sakura had come to the front to greet him.

"Sakura, there's something I need to ask you." Her eyebrow raised when he said that.

"What is it Naruto?" He reached into his gi and produced a small box, getting down onto one knee, he spoke.

"Will you marry me?" A round of gasps went through the room as they laid eyes on the ring. A diamond was set in the middle of a platinum band, and on either side was a pair of pink topaz gemstones.

Sakura could feel her heart skip a beat, she went weak in the knees, using all of her strength to keep herself standing. "Sakura?" He saw the tears in her eyes.

"Yes. Yes I'll marry you." And the round of claps that followed was no real surprise.

"Looks like we'll be celebrating two things." Jiraiya made his presence known. The party was full of congratulations and shared drinks.

Finally it ended, many of his friends were passed out about his house, sleeping off alcohol.

_-One Week Later-_

Naruto was dressed in his best attire, which was a golden silk gi, and a pair of black hakama. It was his inauguration today, and he was somewhat nervous, because he'd decided today that he'd reveal the truth about his tenant. Many ninja were asking about the red chakra anyway.

Currently Tsunade was giving her resignation speech, and had shortly thereafter called Naruto up.

"You all know me, But what I'm about to tell you is something that only some of you know." He took a deep breath. "Twenty years ago, when my father, Namikaze Minato was the Hokage, the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked. Now the younger generation was told that my father killed the beast, but people who know about demons know it's impossible for a human to kill a demon of that caliber. No, that demon was sealed into my stomach, and I have been the prison for the Kyuubi for the past twenty years, and I will continue to be for the remainder of my life." The crowd was silent for a second, but then a shout from some person changed that.

"We don't care about that anymore!" And they all erupted in cheers. Naruto managed to silence them.

"I want all of you to know however, that I've not forgotten how I was treated. No, but I have forgiven all that mistreated me. Now, everyone wants me to be Hokage. Now, my dream has been recognized, and I'll put all of my effort into doing this job in the best way that I can. Thank you." Naruto bowed and stepped down from the podium to receive the hat and robe, which he was never going to wear, but it was a tradition that the two must be passed down. Naruto had finally accomplished his lifelong dream. He was the Rokudaime Hokage.

-Chapter Twelve: End-

_**Author's Note: And that's a wrap folks. I'll be writing an epilogue chapter some time down the road, but for now, I've got another story that's on it's way, and I still have two others that I'm going to be writing. I hope that you liked what I've written, I hope it doesn't seem rushed like the last chapter, because I took the time I could with it, The epilogue chapter will be considerably shorter, probably about a quarter of the length of this, it's got no real purpose, but I want to do it. Thanks for reading, I hope you have a look at the next story I post, and the other three I have. **_


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